Sophie Kennedy ’27 got her start in Student Assembly as a freshman — when she narrowly lost the class of 2027 presidential election to current SA President Nico Giro-Martin ’27.
“Even though I lost to Nico, he’s the best person to lose to,” Kennedy said.
Instead of viewing the loss as a setback, Kennedy — who now serves as SA vice president — said it ultimately gave her a strong foundation for future involvement.
Following the 2023 election, Kennedy said Giro-Martin convinced her to accept an appointment for one of the two vacant class of 2027 senator positions. She won reelection her sophomore year and served another term as senator.
While Kennedy studied abroad in Spain in fall 2025, she continued her SA work as an undersecretary for Health and Safety. She highlighted protecting diversity programs on campus and helping fund menstrual product initiatives for students.
“It’s really empowering to know that we get to make sure that students feel comfortable and safe on campus,” she said.
Kennedy said she and Giro-Martin stayed in touch throughout her time abroad. He then decided to recruit her as his running mate for the 2026 spring elections.
Kennedy said she was initially nervous about running for vice president.
“I’ve seen great people who I adore and respect be torn to pieces,” she said. “And that is on both sides of the ticket.”
Despite these reservations, Kennedy said she felt serving students at a higher level was an opportunity she could not refuse.
“It was worth a shot to make a change,” she said.
Running unopposed, Giro-Martin and Kennedy won their election and began their work toward the end of last spring. She said their administration over the summer has focused on planning for the upcoming school year.
As vice president, Kennedy has confronted growing privacy concerns surrounding new artificial intelligence-powered surveillance tools operating on campus. Right before she took office, students overwhelmingly approved two referendums on Flock and ZeroEyes. The referendums called on the College of William and Mary to end its relationship with these companies, arguing they intrude on student privacy.
Kennedy said she plans to continue holding conversations with administrators to address these concerns.
“With recent developments and other college towns and cities, I’m interested to see how it’ll go at William and Mary,” she said. “I think that there will be more open dialogue.”
Kennedy said she is also committed to serving the campus community outside of SA. During her freshman year, she was vice president of the Randolph Community Council. She also serves part-time for the College as a Student Leadership Development worker, trains with club swimming and helps the College’s Panhellenic Council as a recruitment counselor.
Kennedy said these involvements have shaped her leadership style and desire to serve students across campus.
“I love being able to help people through their experiences,” she said.
In her spare time, Kennedy supports sexual violence education and prevention efforts as a member of Someone You Know. Kennedy is also a student representative for the College’s Hazing Prevention Coalition.
As a public policy major and psychology minor, Kennedy has spent recent summers exploring her interest in health policy. She has interned at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Kennedy characterized these experiences as a continuation of her desire to help others. She expressed particularly strong support for the ASCO’s mission.
“Everyone knows someone who’s had cancer or who has died of cancer,” she said. “Being able to work and support the oncologists who are doing that work has meant so much to me.”
Kennedy said she is interested in healthcare but is willing to work anywhere that supports her mission of service.
“I think that I’ll be happy anywhere,” she said.
Kennedy expressed optimism for the future.
“I’m super excited to see where everyone is 20 years from now,” she said. “I know everyone’s going to be successful.”
