杏吧原创

April 30, 2026

by Elizabeth Mendicino 鈥�26

Ramapo truly cultivates incredible leaders. Sophia Kopreski ’26 has been awarded the prestigious for the 2026-2027 year.

Kopreski, of Vineland, NJ, was a Political Science major and Public Policy minor during her time at Ramapo. A January graduate who will be walking at commencement this May, she was a dedicated student leader and impeccable academic talent. Kopreski is currently an intern with the Office of United States Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ).

Sponsored by the City of New York and administered by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the New York City Urban Fellowship is a highly-prestigious nine-month program that places exceptional young professionals in different city agencies wherein they are able to gain real-world experience working with leaders in their fields.

Kopreski is only the second Ramapo student to win the selective fellowship, preceded by Stefanie Viera ’25.

Roadrunners Sophia Kopreski ’26 and Stefanie Viera ’25 were awarded back-to-back New York Urban Fellowships.

As a student, Kopreski served as a phenomenal mentor to other political science students, as well as young student leaders as the Student Government Secretary of Delegate Affairs. In co-founding the Project ARCH Civic Engagement club, she was able to further her impact and leadership experience. Kopreski was also named to the ALL IN Campus Democracy Student Voting Honor Roll this past year for her remarkable dedication to increasing voter access and civic engagement on the Ramapo campus.

鈥淪ophia is an exceptional public servant and advocate for youth civic engagement,鈥� said Ramapo鈥檚 Director of Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships Dr. Rebecca Root. 鈥淪he packed so much into her time as a college student – excelling in her Honors, Poli Sci and Public Policy classes; exploring reconciliation in Northern Ireland; leading Project ARCH on our campus; studying in England; interning in Washington DC, helping students become better writers in our Center for Reading & Writing – and now, as a recent grad, interning for Senator Andy Kim. I can’t wait to see what she does when she brings her formidable talents to NYC!鈥�

Kopreski opened up about her time at Ramapo, her journey to earning the prestigious fellowship, and her ambitions for a career in public service.

What does winning the Urban Fellowship mean to you?

Besides how surreal it feels, I am very aware of how lucky I am to be given this opportunity. This achievement is truly a testament to all of the time and dedication people in my life have sacrificed to help me get to this point, including mentors and friends like Dr. Root and Stefanie Viera, as well as my loved ones who have never stopped believing in me. I take this as a sort of sign that I am on the right track to a fulfilling public service career 鈥� that I can work for a cause and a community which I wholeheartedly believe in. For that, I am incredibly honored.聽

What do you hope to accomplish as an Urban Fellow?

So much of my motivation to do good in this world is inspired by the actions of others. As an Urban Fellow, I am really excited to get to know the other incredible people in my cohort and those who work to improve the capacity of city government. While I do not know what agency I will be placed at, I hope I get to work on a project that collaborates directly with a given community and works to remedy a longstanding issue, whether it be transportation, housing, or my personal passion of civic engagement. I am a big fan of experiential and community-based learning, so I hope I am given the chance to engage with New Yorkers one-on-one in my role.

How has Ramapo helped support your journey as an exceptional future professional?

Simply put, Ramapo has completely changed the trajectory of my life. When I came to Ramapo from South Jersey, I had no clue where to begin as a political science student. For context, my parents are both public high school English teachers 鈥� the realm of education is all I鈥檝e ever known. Early in my freshman year, I remember standing outside of my American Government class with Professor Teigen talking about my lifelong dream of visiting the UK. He suggested that I apply for a Fulbright one day. A year and a half later, I was off to Queen鈥檚 University Belfast on a Fulbright UK Summer Institute thanks to the encouragement of Dr. Root who recognized my interest in Northern Ireland. I have been so fortunate to squeeze everything possible out of my college career. From my semester in D.C., to my UK experiences, to my internship with New Jersey鈥檚 38th Legislative District, thanks to the trust of Pat O鈥機onnor, Ramapo鈥檚 Vice President for Government Relations. The people at Ramapo have always pushed me to reach for the stars. I would not have landed my internship with the Office of Senator Andy Kim聽without these opportunities that our college community inspired me to apply for. Most of all, Dr. Root and the Ramapo community taught me to never give up on myself.聽

What advice would you give to incoming or undergradiate students who are interested in these opportunities?

You are going to face a lot of rejection, but if you truly love what you do, that should not deter you from trying again and again and again. I could give you an itemized list of all of the internships, scholarships, and programs I have been rejected by. In fact, I did not land a politics-related internship until my last semester in school. That being said, start early and do something. I 鈥� worked at Rita鈥檚 in my summers at home. Those customer service skills are something I use every day when interacting with constituents in my Senate internship. Additionally, if someone gives you the opportunity to apply for something and vouches for you, do it and do your best. You might not get whatever you are applying to, but you should take comfort in knowing someone saw you and believed in you.聽

Is there anything you learned in the application process that impacted you?

Similar to other applications, submitting for a major fellowship like the Urban is far from a one-man job. It takes hours, weeks, and months of preparation and multiple cycles of revisions from yourself and mentors. Having feedback from others to work off of is great, but it is also important to remember that these people are taking time out of their lives to help you. I did not want to take that for granted for a moment, so if anything it made me work ten times harder. I realized that I was not just doing this for my current Ramapo cohort, but for all those who will apply in the future. It is all in an effort to expand future applicants鈥� chances to achieve these same dreams.聽

Why did you choose to apply to the Urban Fellowship in particular?

The biggest highlight of the Urban Fellowship is its situation in the heart of New York City government. If you are looking to get experience in the realm of public policy and make a positive impact on so many diverse communities, the Urban will allow you to take part in that. As a proponent of civic education and engagement programs, I took notice of NYC鈥檚 democratic culture, one that really inspires me. I also chose to apply because I knew how different the lifestyle of living in a global city would be to my own upbringing in Cumberland County. It really excites me and motivates me to take in everything I can.聽

Is there anything else you would like to say?

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Dr. Rebecca Root, Ramapo鈥檚 director of prestigious fellowships and scholarships, for never once giving up on me over the years. She is the type of person who will see a spark in you and do everything in her power to help you harness it. I鈥檇 also like to express my deepest thanks to Stefanie Viera, Ramapo鈥檚 first Urban Fellow and dear friend, who inspired me every step of the way. I cannot wait to continue to represent Ramapo in the Big Apple and beyond.