Sophia Holloman ’24 may come from a small North Carolina town, but she is destined to make a big impact as she graduates from Methodist University.
Sophia Holloman ’24 may come from a small North Carolina town, but she is destined to make a big impact as she graduates from Methodist University.
This month, Holloman is earning her bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. While she has faced several difficult circumstances in life, Holloman is thankful for her experience at MU – pushing her to become the best version of herself while creating lifetime memories at the same time.
Finding Purpose
Holloman – who grew up just 30 minutes south of Methodist University in St. Paul’s, a place she holds near and dear to her heart as most of her immediate family members live within a two-street radius of one another – was constantly aware of the medical profession from a young age. Not only did she battle an autoinflammatory disorder and anxiety as a child, but her mother was a nurse.
“Every day, when she’d come home from work, she’d tell me everything she did in a way I could understand,” Holloman said. “That had a big influence on what I wanted to do the rest of my life.”
Sure enough, Holloman’s passion for science and the medical industry grew tenfold as she grew older. When it was time to consider college, Methodist University seemed like a perfect fit.
“Not only is Methodist University only 30 minutes away, but it was the first college to contact me and that drew me in,” she added. “When I toured here, I found out about the small class sizes and how it truly fosters a connection between you and the faculty. I don’t think I really understood at the time how important that would be, but I definitely do now.”
Finding Community
Coming out of high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, Holloman was slightly worried about finding her place on campus. However, she quickly flourished during her time as a Monarch.
Academically, she found success by consistently making an appearance on the President’s List, which honors students for achieving a 3.90 or better GPA. She even earned the Curie General Chemistry Achievement Award in 2022 during MU’s Spring Awards Convocation.
Holloman points to Dr. Lauren Klabonski’s microbiology lab as her favorite class, giving her an opportunity to properly collect and identify bacteria samples from the ground.
“Sophia is an excellent student who is engaged in the material and dedicated to her studies,” said Klabonski, assistant professor of Biology at MU. “She is a kind individual and helps her fellow classmates whenever possible. Sophia has a combination of intelligence, maturity, and empathy that is rare to find in an undergraduate student, and it makes her an absolute pleasure to have in the classroom.”
Outside of the classroom, Holloman has worked as a medical assistant – most recently for Cape Fear Valley Health. She credits the Physician Assistant Studies program for reaching out to her with the job opportunity as a student.
She has also participated in HOSA – Future Health Professionals, the Leadership Fellows program, MU Science Club, the Special Olympics, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. All of the experiences at MU have allowed her to build lifelong relationships.
“The diversity here is incredible,” Holloman added. “Some of my closest friends are international students so being able to meet them and learn about their culture has been really neat. I love that I’ve been able to meet people from different cities, states, and countries.”
Finding Family
For Holloman, the personal connections expanded to the faculty as well, especially when she discovered difficult news about her family.
“Last year, I found out my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer,” she said. “When I told my professors, they were very helpful and worked with me whenever I had to miss class. They were a whole other support system that I don’t think I would have had if I went anywhere else but Methodist University.”
While the diagnosis has been difficult for Holloman and her entire family, she said her mother, Julia, is one her biggest inspirations for earning a college degree.
“My mom and I have always been close. She always worked in a hospital, so I ended up always being comfortable there, which inspired me to consider the medical profession,” said Holloman. “My parents always told me to do better than they’ve done. Thanks to the values and work ethic they instilled in me, I’m the first person in my family to get a bachelor’s degree.”
Finding a Career
Holloman plans to attend Methodist University’s Commencement Weekend in May, allowing her to be hooded on stage by her father, Christopher, right before she receives her diploma. In the meantime, she plans to take a year to consider her next step – whether it’s attending physician assistant school, medical school, or something else.
“I’d like to work in primary care, family care, pediatrics, or even psychiatry,” she added. “But I definitely want to stay in this area and work in underserved communities, like Robeson County.”
No matter what lies ahead for Holloman, she is grateful for experience as a lifelong Monarch.
“It helped me grow as a person,” Holloman said. “I loved the tight-knit community and the fact that everyone knows your name. That’s so valuable. There are high expectations for you once faculty get to know you, but that pushes you to be even better.”
Methodist University’s Biology program opens doors to a variety of careers with specific concentrations in Pre-Medicine and Pre-Veterinary Medicine. To learn more or to apply to the program, visit the program webpage.