Sophia Simpson

In 2010, Sophia Simpson graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, and minors in Architecture and Visual Culture. Sophia Simpson was a member of the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate students of the liberal arts and sciences. During her time at Trinity College, Sophia Simpson also received numerous accolades for both her scholastic achievements and her commitment and quality of character. In all her four years at Trinity College, Sophia Simpson received faculty honors for academic excellence, graduating with a 3.864 GPA, and a 4.00 GPA within her major. In 2009, Sophia Simpson earned a $2,500 research grant from the college, to cover travel and research expenses related to the completion of her senior thesis. In Sophia Simpson’s final year at school, Trinity College awarded her the Elma H. Martin Book Prize, the American Studies Prize, and the Trustee Award for Student Excellence. According to the college’s website, the Elma H. Martin Book Prize is awarded to a female undergraduate who demonstrates kindness, generosity, civic engagement, and commitment to the welfare and advancement of women. The college awards the American Studies Prize to the best undergraduate thesis that makes an original contribution to the field of American Studies. Trinity College awards the Trustee Award for Student Excellence to only two students a year, for academic excellence and exceptional contributions to the college. One of the most remarkable aspects of Sophia Simpson’s impressive academic career is the content of her senior thesis. In the course of her studies on female American photographers, Sophia Simpson came across the name of a woman who was still alive and living outside the Hartford area. Charlotte Brooks worked as a photographer for Look Magazine in the 1950s and 1960s, taking photos of many iconic cultural figures. Sophia Simpson was able to organize the first ever exhibition of Brooks’ work in 2010. It was for this remarkable accomplishment that she received with the American Studies Prize.