Scholar profile.
Education.
Graduate School Candidate
Berklee College of Music ’28
Master of Music (M.M.) or a Master of Arts (M.A.)
Undergraduate School Candidate
Harvard College ’27
Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
The Classics, Government
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Cross-Registered Student
How does the Harvard-Berklee Dual Degree Program work?
Sofia is one of approximately ten students worldwide to be offered admission into the highly-selective Harvard-Berklee Dual Degree Program. Berklee’s website describes the program as "a five-year program of study designed for exceptional musicians and dedicated scholars interested in a diverse range of artistic careers as well as an elite liberal arts education."
While in New England, Sofia will earn a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) at Harvard College and a Master of Music (M.M.) or a Master of Arts (M.A.) at Berklee College of Music.
2023-Present College Academics & Activities
Harvard, Berklee, and MIT
In her first year at Harvard and Berklee, Sofia Detjen distinguished herself as a versatile percussionist, engaging with the campus musical theater community through her involvement with the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC). Her performances spanned a diverse array of productions, including "First Year Musical: The Kids Are Alight," "Jekyll & Hyde," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Spring Awakening," and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Additionally, she showcased her talents in the Hasty Pudding Theatricals' 175th musical comedy, "HEIST, HEIST, BABY!"
She honed her musical skills at the Berklee College of Music under the guidance of GRAMMY®-Nominee mentors Shirazette Tinnin and Francisco Mela. Additionally, Sofia co-founded and played drums for Harvard’s 11:59 Band, celebrated for its eclectic blend of Pop, Funk, and R&B.
Alongside her musical pursuits, Sofia is also a cross-registered student at MIT and an active participant in the Air Force ROTC program. Her scholarly interests were extensive, covering Latin (classical and medieval), Middle Eastern Studies, and foundational texts in literature, philosophy, government, and the arts, through her coursework at Harvard College and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Sofia was involved in multiple extracurricular activities. She contributed significantly to The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770, the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative (HUFPI), and The John Adams Society of Harvard College. Her roles included serving as the Deputy Director of Foreign Summits for HUFPI after a tenure as Deputy Director of Speakers.
As Sofia prepares for the summer she will be headed to DC for a Summer Fellowship in political theory and practice with the Hudson Institute Political Studies. This opportunity will continue to shaping her career through a combination of academic excellence, leadership, and citizenship fueled by an innate passion for Global Music Diplomacy.
2019-23 High School Academics & Activities
Lone Peak High School (Highland, Utah)
In high school, Sofia Detjen was a leader on the Draper City Mayor’s Youth Council and the Salt Lake County Youth Government, where she organized numerous service projects for her city, collaborated with elected officials at the Utah Capitol through Local Officials Day, and advocated within municipal government for her peers. She was also a Youth Diplomat at the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy. Volunteering with the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, she welcomed foreign leaders to Utah while conducting service projects, attending lectures, and practicing diplomacy simulations. Empowered by her experience, Sofia founded and led Citizen Diplomacy, a growing club at her school designed to involve like-minded students in civil discourse, foreign affairs, and cross-cultural service. Additionally, Sofia served as a member of the Hope Squad to combat youth suicide and depression; and participated in the Harvard Undergraduate International Relations Scholars Program (HUIRSP)—the top international relations scholar summer program for high school students in the world—in 2021 as a student and 2022 as a Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative HUIRSP Ambassador. She had the opportunity to learn from former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger and Harvard Professor of Government Dr. Graham Allison.
In 2023 during her senior year, Sofia was publicly recognized by Deseret News and KSL Broadcast Group by being awarded the 2023 Sterling Scholar for Instrumental Music for the pursuit of excellence in scholarship, leadership, and citizenship in the State of Utah. After presenting an all-encompassing portfolio of her work in Instrumental Music, she was evaluated via in-depth interviews with judging panels in the category's field over four months at the high school, semi-final, and finals levels, winnowed down from 80 of Utah's best music scholars.
Despite the disruptions of 2020, Sofia served as an intern for the Women Tech Council throughout the summer, a group dedicated to representing women in STEM and providing mentorship from leaders in companies like Goldman Sachs and Adobe. From attending technical conferences to representing organizations at her school, she worked to combine practical experiences with her academics — while seeking to include and empower others in the process.