Sixty-First Commencement
Class of 2026
Sophia Turchin
Earth and Planetary Sciences major
Sophia Turchin was 23 years old and nearly a decade out of school when she first set foot on a college campus. She had been homeschooled since 7th grade, never took the SAT and wasn't sure she would even enjoy being a student. She chose Kingsborough partly because it was close to her home in Brighton Beach — and partly because she had taken one of her GED exams here and liked what she saw.
What happened next surprised even her.
In just two years, Sophia made the Dean's List twice, founded the Environment & Sustainability Club, served as a Student Government Association senator, conducted geological research she presented at a national conference in Texas, and was selected as a NOAA Hollings Scholar, one of the most competitive undergraduate science scholarships in the country.
"The most important thing I learned from my time as a Kingsborough student is that it's always possible to make a change and pursue new dreams, as long as you're willing to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone again and again," she said.
Sophia grew up on Manhattan's West Side. She was homeschooled through most of her teenage years and spent several years as a young adult before deciding she was ready to try college. Her older sister was a big part of what pushed her to take that step. "She knew she wanted to be an archaeologist since she was a child. Seeing her live out her dream pushed me to chase my own," Sophia said. “My goal entering college was to challenge myself by studying a subject in STEM, which I had never been interested in growing up and knew little about. Several of my family members on my dad’s side were and are scientists, and I wanted to prove to myself that I was also capable of becoming a researcher.”
She initially thought she would follow in her father’s footsteps and applied to Kingsborough as a computer science student as a placeholder – until she discovered the earth and planetary sciences program while browsing the course catalog. "It felt like the perfect combination of scientific pursuits, adventure and exploration," she said.
That instinct turned out to be right. Through the CUNY Research Scholars Program, Sophia connected with Professor Steven Jaret, who became her research mentor and, by her account, one of the most important people in her KCC experience. It started with an email she almost didn't send.
"I remember being nervous about sending the email, as this was my first time reaching out to a professor I had never met and who had never met me," she said. "But it ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made."
Under Jaret's guidance, Sophia studied rocks from the Ritland impact crater in Norway and presented her findings at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. She has also been selected as the featured student speaker for Kingsborough at the upcoming CRSP Symposium in July, and this summer she will participate in the Physical Science REU at the American Museum of Natural History.
"For an aspiring scientist, conducting research so early into my education, and in a specialized field like planetary geology, was instrumental and solidified my interest in the subject," she said.
Her campus involvement went well beyond the lab. As an intern with the Freshkills Park Alliance through the CUNY Career Launch program, Sophia helped monitor wetland habitats, worked on a native plant pollinator garden, and went on an after-dark BioBlitz. That experience inspired her to start the Environment & Sustainability Club at KCC with the help of faculty advisor Professor Midori Yamamura, who also encouraged her to apply for the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship, for which Sophia was named a semifinalist. The club's first project this spring was a free clothing "thrift shop" for Earth Day, done in collaboration with Phi Theta Kappa. Their next initiative will be planting trees in campus areas they've identified as lacking vegetation.
As a student government senator, Sophia helped organize a seedling giveaway for Earth Day, distributing basil plants from the KCC Farm and Garden. She also became a student ambassadorwhile she was preparing to transfer, with VP Nancy Sanchez Badillo supporting her through the application process.
She graduates in June with an associate degree in earth and planetary sciences, ending her community college career with a perfect 4.0 GPA and as the recipient of three awards: the Earth & Planetary Science Award, the Leon M. Goldstein Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence and Community Service, and the President's Award for Distinguished Scholarship.
In the fall, Sophia will transfer to Stony Brook University to major in geology, with possible minors in marine science or astronomy. Her long-term goals are to earn a master's degree and PhD in planetary geology and eventually a career in research, perhaps with NASA or the European Space Agency. The Antarctic Search for Meteorites program and McMurdo or Amundsen-Scott research stations in Antarctica are also on her radar.
When she is not doing science, she is playing piano, a hobby she has had since age four. She particularly enjoys improvisation and composing music.
Her advice to incoming students reflects her own experience as someone who waited years before walking through the door. "Taking the first step is always the hardest, but the more you put yourself out there and leave your comfort zone, the easier it becomes," she said. “Kingsborough is an amazing community of ambitious students, staff and faculty who are genuinely invested in students’ success. If you reach out and put yourself out there, you’ll find the support and opportunities that will help you achieve your dreams.”