Living in East Campus for three of her four years at UConn, Sofia Rebelo often found herself sitting on Horsebarn Hill, just watching the dairy cows graze \u2013 a simple, peaceful time.<\/p>\n
Seeing cows will always remind her of UConn, she says, even as she embarks on her next chapter, which includes an impending move to Minnesota this summer where the cognitive science major will begin working as a software engineer with hopes of one day pursuing law school.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your major or field of study, and what drew you to it?<\/strong><\/p>\n My major is cognitive science, with minors in computer science and psychology. What drew me to it was how genuinely interdisciplinary it is. It is a perfect intersection of my interests that I never expected to find in one major. At 18, applying to college, I struggled to pick a major because every option felt too narrow. I loved languages, had become fascinated by psychology after taking AP Psychology my senior year, and had discovered a real enjoyment of coding through an introductory class. Nothing on its own felt like enough. When I found cognitive science, everything clicked. It gave me the freedom to explore all of those interests within a single major while still leaving room to grow in different directions. As AI has risen to the forefront of so many conversations, my background has allowed me to engage with these developments more critically, including asking deeper questions about what intelligence actually means and how we define it. Four years later, I have zero regrets in choosing it as my major.<\/p>\n What activities were you involved in as a student?<\/strong><\/p>\n Student activities truly became the center of my experience at UConn. In my final year, I served as president of Law Society, French Club, and Data Science Club; vice president of Women in Computer Science and Cognitive Collective; and secretary of Quantum Computing Club, among other roles. I was also an undergraduate research assistant at HELLO Labs, a volunteer and TA for UCAELI, and a student representative on the Cognitive Science Steering Committee. My time at UConn has been defined by my involvement in these organizations, and I have loved every second of it. As an out-of-state student at a large university, I initially felt overwhelmed trying to find my place. Getting involved in clubs completely changed that. These communities introduced me to some of my closest friends, opened doors to opportunities I never expected, and surrounded me with students who are constantly doing inspiring things.<\/p>\n What are your plans after graduation\/receiving your degree?<\/strong><\/p>\n I will be moving to Minnesota, where I will begin work as an associate software engineer in the summer. Someday, I hope to attend law school to pursue intellectual property law.<\/p>\n How has UConn prepared you for the next chapter in life?<\/strong><\/p>\n UConn gave me more than just a degree. It taught me how to think critically, ask better questions, and stay curious. Through my coursework, professors, and the people I met along the way, I learned how to challenge my assumptions and grow from discomfort rather than avoid it. I also gained the confidence to take on new opportunities, even when I was not entirely sure where they would lead. Beyond academics, UConn showed me the value of community. The friendships and connections I built here have been just as important as anything I learned in the classroom. Being surrounded by driven and supportive people pushed me to grow in ways I did not expect. As I move into the next chapter, I feel prepared not just in what I know, but in my ability to adapt, keep learning, and take on whatever comes next.<\/p>\n Any advice for incoming students?<\/strong><\/p>\n My advice is to talk to everyone you can. One of the best pieces of advice I received early on was to simply start conversations, even when it feels a little uncomfortable. Some of the most meaningful connections I made came from something as small as sitting next to someone in class or introducing myself at a meeting. You never know where a relationship might lead, whether it grows into a professional one or a genuine friendship. It’s a simple thing, but putting yourself out there can open more doors than you might expect.<\/p>\n What\u2019s one thing everyone should do during their time at UConn?<\/strong><\/p>\n Everyone should get involved in a student organization. I cannot emphasize this enough. Getting involved opened doors I did not even know existed and truly shaped my entire college experience. Whether it is one club or seven, being part of something outside the classroom helps you find your people, try new things, and grow in ways you would not expect. Some of my best memories, closest friendships, and biggest opportunities all came from just saying yes and showing up. You do not have to have it all figured out. You just have to start.<\/p>\n What will always make you think of UConn?<\/strong><\/p>\n Cows will always make me think of UConn! After living in East Campus for three out of my four years, going to sit and watch the cows on Horsebarn Hill or hanging out by the Dairy Bar, seeing the cows became one of my favorite pastimes. It was such a simple thing, but it ended up being one of the most peaceful and memorable parts of my time there, and I genuinely don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever look at a cow again without thinking of those moments. And then there’s basketball, which is a whole journey in itself. I arrived at UConn having never watched a single game in my life, and I’m leaving as someone who actually follows schedules across college basketball, the NBA, and the WNBA. I still can’t quite believe how much that changed for me! Getting to witness UConn teams bring home national championships these past three years has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I feel so lucky to have been there for it. The most meaningful part, though, is knowing that UConn players are out there everywhere now. Wherever life takes me, I’ll be able to look up and find a UConn alum on the court, and that honestly means the world to me. A piece of UConn will always travel with me, and I think that’s pretty incredible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rebelo reflects on her time at UConn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":243591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"quote","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[117],"class_list":["post-243589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-quote","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-quote"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-08 23:07:28","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243589"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":244237,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243589\/revisions\/244237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/243591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243589"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=243589"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=243589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}