Who’s That Kid? It’s Sophia MacMaster FCRH ’19

By Bailey Hosfelt

For most Fordham students, the first few days of the Fall semester were occupied by carrying mini fridges from cars, relishing a life apart from communal bathrooms and catching up with friends over a slice at Pugsley’s. But for Sophia MacMaster, this was not the case. An economics and Spanish double-major, MacMaster is currently spending her days 550 miles south of the Bronx in Greensboro, working as a field organizer for the North Carolina Coordinated Campaign.

The youngest among her coworkers, MacMaster became interested in politics at an early age. “My mom is super political, so I’ve always been involved in one way or another,” she said, citing her love of governmental affairs. “The 2008 Obama campaign is the first I actually remember, but the New Hampshire primary this cycle was the first time I helped out.”

After canvassing in Manchester for the Hillary Clinton Campaign in the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary, she became hooked on hands-on participation. MacMaster then volunteered in the Bronx during the New York primary last April. It was here that she met Nora Walsh-DeVries who would later play an integral part in her current position.

DeVries, who now serves as a regional organizing director for the North Carolina Party, knew that MacMaster wanted to get involved with campaigns and recruited her to come to North Carolina. “My organizer in the Bronx is my current boss,” MacMaster said, demonstrating how far one connection can go.

Despite the opportunity’s obvious appeal, MacMaster initially had to make a difficult decision to not spend this semester at school and work with the campaign instead. “Honestly, I never considered it before Nora called me mid-July and threw all this at me,” she said. “However, once I gave it some thought, I knew I had to do it. This election is too important.”

Originally from Massachusetts, a predominantly blue state, MacMaster is enjoying her new digs working to elect democrats down the ticket in battleground territory. As she explained, the North Carolina Coordinated Campaign is a field program devoted to elect each and every democratic candidate in addition to presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. “In North Carolina, we have a lot of really important races like the governor and senate seat. We are looking to elect all of those democrats,” MacMaster said.

While her fellow Rams are attending classes, making trips to study in the library and testing the waters with Aramark, MacMaster is talking to voters, recruiting volunteers and canvassing the local community. “I make a minimum of 200 calls a day to local democrats,” she said.

With the Oct. 14 voter registration deadline rapidly approaching, the program is shifting its focus to ensure that all constituents can cast their ballots come November. “After that, we’ll start knocking on doors, which will take up most of my time,” MacMaster said, citing the extremely important weeks between voters’ deadline to register and the day they decide who to elect.

The past few months for MacMaster have been incredible to say the least with each new experience as powerful as the last. “The most amazing thing is to think about being part of something so much bigger than me,” she said, revealing the inspiring ending to the Coordinated Campaign’s last all-staff training in September. “We ended with our ‘I believe that she will win’ chant. It’s crazy to see all these brilliant, talented and diverse organizers working toward one huge goal.”

As every undergraduate vies for an impactful internship, MacMaster’s real world experience leaves the rest of us playing catch up. However, she assured me that the specific details of her post-college aspirations remain undecided. “I wish I knew the answer,” MacMaster said. “I really love the campaign life and I imagine I’ll work on the 2020 one after I graduate. Beyond that, I’m not sure.”

For right now, she is grateful for her place in a glass ceiling shattering election that has the potential to make even more history. As MacMaster said, “I am honored to work for Hillary Clinton every day.”
Although her time away from campus has been life-changing in more ways than one, there is still a craving that North Carolina simply cannot satisfy for MacMaster: the New York bagel. But until November, MacMaster will put breakfast preferences aside because she has some serious work to do.