Camas grad Sophia Wade selected for internship in Ireland

Sophia Wade’s interest in activism dates back to her days as a student at Camas High School, where she created an equity curriculum called “Windows and Mirrors” to address ignorance and promote inclusive practices. For her efforts, she won the 2024 Marshall Youth Leadership Award.

“That’s when I was first introduced to advocacy and education, specifically as tools to enact positive change within the community,” Wade said.

Wade, who graduated from Camas High in 2024, has received another significant reward for her continued efforts to put her passions into practice. The political science major at Spelman College in Atlanta was recently selected for the 2026 Frederick Douglass-Daniel O’Connell Global Internship, an eight-week summer program in Dublin, Ireland, for undergraduate student leaders.

Wade and 13 other students from around the United States were selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants based on their demonstrated interest in gaining practical work experience in Ireland; their desire to emulate the social justice reform and business acumen of Douglass and O’Connell; their values in equality, entrepreneurship and advocacy; and their commitment to pursuing a better, more inclusive world, according to a news release.

“To have an opportunity to engage in an academic space discussing the history of social change in Ireland while also receiving professional experience — I’m really excited,” Wade said. “It balances two things that I’m passionate about: scholarship and advocacy through legal work.”

The program prepares emerging leaders for careers rooted in global engagement, public service and economic mobility. It’s sponsored by the Council on International Educational Exchange, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, the African American Irish Diaspora Network and the John & Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation.

Wade was selected for her academic excellence and dedication to using storytelling as a force for change, according to the news release.

“She has an incredible presence and poise that immediately stood out to our selection committee,” said Kyndall Cox, CIEE’s director of global fellowships. “Additionally, she possessed a deep knowledge and appreciation for the legacy of both Frederick Douglass and Daniel O’Connell. She was also eager to learn more about Irish culture and was committed to immersing herself in a new workplace in a new country.”

Wade said that she’s interested in pursuing a career in immigration law, influenced by her college classes and tenure as a judicial intern for the Multnomah County Circuit Court in the summer of 2025.

“Through those experiences, I’ve found that area of law particularly interests me because it sits at the intersection of law policy and advocacy, which are things that I’m very interested in,” she said.

Currently, she serves as the president of the Spelman College speech and debate team; the founder and head of education and research for the Spelman College Swim Club, which promotes aquatic literacy among the student body; the social chair of the Spelman Honors Program; and a volunteer for the Atlanta Public School District.

“For me, it’s all about impact,” she said. “In the context of certain spaces — as swimmers, as debaters, as speakers, whatever it may be — I just want to make a positive impact on someone else so that I can honor the people that came before me and carry on a tradition of mentoring and leadership.”