Official Blog | UCGPC

Who is Sonya?

Sonya Brooks, M.S., is a Ph.D. student in the Urban Schooling division of the Education Department and an MPH student in the School of Public Health specializing in Community Health Sciences at UCLA. Her research interests lie at the intersections of education, policy, law, community health sciences, and intergenerational narratives. Brooks is a devoted educator, researcher, advocate, disruptor, and scholar. Sonya is the founder and advisor for Soil 2 Soil and We Are Our Mother’s Gardens, community-based programs in the Bay Area and Los Angeles that build gardens in schools in communities pushed to the margins and teach students how to mitigate food insecurity while using their agency to create healthier worlds for their families and communities.

What are her advocacy and interests?

Sonya’s advocacy interests are retention and graduate housing. She is committed to supporting initiatives that enhance student retention by addressing challenges that may hinder academic progress. Additionally, she focus on advocating for improvements in graduate housing, aiming to ensure the availability, affordability, and quality of housing options that cater specifically to the unique needs of graduate students. By working in these areas, her goal is to contribute to the creation of a more supportive and inclusive environment for students to thrive academically and personally.