Alyssa Sohn

Alyssa is a student in the 3-year JD/MBA program and is originally from New Jersey. She graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2014 with a BS in Engineering Psychology. After commissioning as a Human Resources officer, she served in the Army for five years, leading teams in both Virginia and Kuwait. Before law school, Alyssa worked at a veteran-founded education technology startup based in Hanoi, Vietnam as a faculty head for K-12 after-school programs. Her veteran experience in implementing federally litigated personnel policies, and the mentorship she received while working alongside a Wharton MBA and founder, inspired her to pursue her concurrent degrees.

Alyssa applied to the E&I fellowship to join the team that will launch its pilot program for Penn Carey Law students. Her goals are to facilitate difficult conversations, allow space for complex perspectives to be heard, and help build a culture of community that will ultimately benefit future students’ legal viewpoints and well-being. She strives to share her identities as a Korean American woman, first-generation college graduate, and disabled veteran by addressing unique challenges to overcome when completing a professional degree program.

Outside of the classroom, Alyssa is the co-Director of Pro Bono & Advocacy for the Internet, Tech & Society Collective, the Co-Director of Admissions for the First Generation Professionals, and the Admissions representative for the Veterans Club. She is also a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the Women’s Association. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with Service To School, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans apply to undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Finally, she works with veterans to apply for valuable educational and vocational benefit entitlements for funding.