Sophia Barro ‘25 spent the fall semester interning at the White House under the Biden-Harris administration, an opportunity she never dreamed she would have and one that almost didn’t happen.

A political science major with double minors in Africana studies and women, gender, and sexuality studies, Barro wanted to be in D.C. for the fall of her senior year. She applied and was accepted into American University’s Washington Semester Program, setting her sights on political science-related internships. 

“I never thought I would work at the White House,” Barro says. “I thought I was going to intern up on the Hill or some small nonprofit.” While Barro applied for the White House internship and interviewed, she was waitlisted. 

Barro moved on and almost accepted an offer from the office of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on Capitol Hill. Then she received a conditional offer from the White House. After completing the appropriate clearances and background checks, Barro learned she was accepted as an intern three days before the program began. 

For Barro, who grew up in D.C., the opportunity to intern at the White House was more than just a professional achievement—it was a full-circle moment that linked her academic journey with her roots.

“I learned that the sky’s the limit and to just reach for it,” she reflects.

Inside the White House

The Office of Presidential Correspondence (OPC) serves as the primary channel between the American people and the White House. It reviews, organizes, and responds to thousands of messages—letters, emails, and calls—that the President receives daily. Barro was a writing intern before spending the rest of her time at the White House as a Greetings and Comment Line intern.

OPC ensures that public concerns, ideas, and personal stories are heard and provides the President with a daily sample of letters to offer insight into the experiences and priorities of the public. Barro prepared greetings for special occasions and answered communications, acknowledging praise or feedback and passing it along to the appropriate office. “It’s a huge deal to me to be able to help constituents out,” she says, “they are all meaningful.” 

Balancing her 9-to-6 internship while being a full-time student, taking evening classes at American University, Barro learned to prioritize taking care of herself. “I also learned to keep my circle small,” she notes. “In the politics world, especially during the vetting process of a job, they look into everything and that’s when I knew it’s time to get serious on who I associate with.”

The working atmosphere in the White House shifted dramatically post-election. While the mood was hopeful pre-election, afterwards, despite the disappointment and the impending job losses, the mission focused on finishing off strong. “I’m partisan, but I think the way that the admin ended was very strong and it was a true honor to intern under the Biden-Harris admin,” Barro states.

Barro emphasizes the importance of bipartisanship. “People are not going to see eye to eye on what you believe, whether it’s because of their religion or how they were raised or where they went to school, but it’s important to represent them and have their voices heard.”

A Career in Political Journalism

Beyond her experience in national politics, Barro has taken on leadership roles both on and off campus. She serves as a UN Youth Representative and has been actively involved at Lehigh University as an equity representative and intern at the Center for Gender Equity and as news associate editor for the Brown and White. 

Barro joining the student-run newspaper as a reporter her first year has shaped her career. “As I gained more exposure in the Brown and White, I knew I wanted to be in that field,” she explains. “And then the correspondence experience at the White House solidified that.”

“As a daughter of Senegalese immigrants, it’s definitely a field that not a lot of us are in, which is more of a reason I want to be in it. Representation matters,” Barro says. She cites Karine Jean-Pierre, the first Black person and openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as White House Press Secretary, as one of her role models while she interned at the White House. “I look up to her so much,” Barro says. “She also gave me a lot of tips of getting into the field.” Jean-Pierre told Barro that consistent practice and experience behind the mic will make her more comfortable and confident.