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In her first semester on campus, Sophia-Emma Eddy ’26 thought she had her future mapped out. This senior hails from New Hampshire, where politics plays an outsized role in community life, and she planned to declare a politics major leading to pre-law. “I did a lot of advocacy work when I was in high school, and I thought, ‘I’m going to go here, and I’m going to major in politics, and that’s that.’”

Then, she took Biology 200, and it changed everything. “I loved it. Before attending Mount Holyoke, I didn’t think there was a place for me in STEM [science, technology, engineering and math], as it didn’t come as naturally to me as it did to my peers,” she said. Now, Eddy hopes to work in a professional laboratory setting and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in plant biology.

Eddy credits her professors’ mentorship with leading her to the sciences. “Professor André White especially gave me a place to talk about my struggles while giving advice about being a first-generation student and combating imposter syndrome,” she said. “Because of him, I knew there was someone in my court who was cheering me on and saying, ‘You can do this, and I believe in you.’”

In high school, she had been a perfectionist, but working in White’s lab taught her not to fear failure. “When you’re doing science, failure is inevitable. Perseverance and failure are just part of the process,” she said. “Being in the White Lab allowed me to really immerse myself in the scientific process for the first time. Doing so allowed me to see the imperfect moments as opportunities to learn rather than … as failures.”

Ultimately, Eddy found her calling in David and Lucy Stewart Professor of Biological Sciences Amy Frary’s plant growth and development class. “I love plants; I want plant science to be my career,” she said. She added that she’s fascinated by plants’ deeply communal behaviors. Eddy currently works in Frary’s lab studying the genetic basis of heteranthery in Solanum citrullifolium, which is related to agronomically important crops, such as tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants.

This interest dovetails perfectly with Eddy’s other major — politics. Although Biology 200 pointed her toward a career in STEM, she never walked away from her original goal. “I want to understand why things are the way they are. That applies to biology, but it also applies to politics.” Plus, her political theory classes made her think more deeply about the questions she’s trying to answer in the lab — and the potential biases in research.

Eddy’s politics coursework informs her research, leading her to a particular interest in agricultural plant biology. “My goal is to help reduce food insecurity through studying agronomically relevant species that also are native to their environment,” she said. She believes it is important to carefully consider the social and political implications of introducing new crops.

During the summer after her junior year, Eddy interned in a plant conservation lab at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Working under Valerie Pence ’72 (who majored in botany), Eddy researched exceptional oak species, analyzing the potential impact of cryopreservation on their genetics. “That experience was outside of my comfort zone too, but it gave me experience working in a lab outside of academia, and I got to work under a Mount Holyoke alum who is a professional in her field,” she said. Eddy is applying for positions in plant genetics labs and conservation labs.

Eddy let go of her fear of failure to embrace new experiences outside of academics, too — such as joining Liga Filipina and auditioning for the Vocal Jazz ensemble. “I’d never done any formal singing, but I got on a real Ella Fitzgerald kick, and I thought, ‘You know what? I am going to try out.’” She chose “Maybe This Time,” originally from “Cabaret,” for her audition. The choice of song couldn’t have been more emblematic of her journey. If she didn’t get in that time, she’d persevere and try again.