Avi Socha

A ticket to off-campus success

For Avi Socha, the University of Washington Bothell was a ticket to off-campus experiences.

He believed the best way to enrich his education was to explore the world. The 2018 graduate in Law, Economics & Public Policy pursued this soon after arriving in Bothell as a Running Start student. His experiences would be the envy of any seasoned immersive traveler.

In 2016, Socha traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, as a summer volunteer with a nonprofit legal firm called Projects Abroad. He helped provide free legal services to the indigent.

In 2017, he interned with the State Department at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Granted a security clearance, he helped review applications for a type of visa for businesspeople and investors.

In 2018, he stayed closer to home, serving as an intern during the Washington legislative session in Olympia. He had access behind the scenes, primarily working with Sen. Jamie Pedersen, whose district covers a large part of Seattle, including the University of Washington.

“What made my time at UW Bothell special was the opportunities I was given to go and use my education,” Socha said.

Spending so much time away meant he couldn’t take a campus job or participate in clubs, but it was a trade-off for the other experiences. “To be named a Husky 100 is a tremendous honor and, in a special way, vindication for the risks I took going into the field,” Socha said.

The next move for Socha is Boston where he has taken an AmeriCorps position with the nonprofit More Than Words, which helps vulnerable young people find jobs.

Socha has graduate study, law school and the Peace Corps in his future plans. “When, where and in what order are still up for consideration.”