Who's SAU? Sophia Pierce

Sophia Pierce's days are never the same. As the Campus Events Coordinator at St. Ambrose University, she could be planning any type of event, from a basic lecture to a fancy black-tie gala. She loves meeting with clients to help them realize their vision.

From Seoul To SAU

Sophia lived in Seoul, South Korea until she was 13 and her mom married her stepfather, who was from Iowa. They moved to the state, but Sophia knew she wanted to get back to big city life. After being a nanny for a family in New York City for three summers during college, she graduated from Cornell College and moved to the Big Apple in 1990.

"I loved New York City," Sophia said. "But after 9/11, I knew I eventually wanted to come back home – it took an emotional toll."

In 2008, Sophia moved back to the Quad Cities. One day, she drove past the St. Ambrose campus and decided to look at their job openings.

"I saw a part-time position for an event coordinator. At the time I thought I could work part-time, maybe take some education classes and become a teacher." Sophia said. "That didn't pan out – part-time turned into full-time, and now I've been here 10 years."

This Building Is For Them

Sophia's favorite part of her job is meeting with alumni and students.

"Older alumni come back for Homecoming, and they will ask if they can still have drinks at the Beehive because there used to be a bar there," she said. "I love all the reminiscing."

Sophia loves working with students to plan their events in the Rogalski Center.

"Students know this building is for them, so they run through event ideas, and helping them plan their event is my favorite thing," Sophia said.

‘I'm That Crazy Aunt'

Outside of work, Sophia spends a lot of time with family and friends, and her dog, a Maltese-Yorkie mix named Mia.

She likes to travel to visit her siblings. One sister lives in western Iowa and another lives in the Chicago suburbs. She also has a brother who lives in DeWitt, and his children come to campus often for tournaments and basketball camps.

"I love to go surprise them – I'm that crazy aunt!" she said.

You Can Call Her ‘Mom'

Sophia talks to students a lot throughout the day.

"I have a lot of work study students and meet with student clubs and organizations on campus," she said. "They like to stop by and talk, and I love talking to them."

Many students stop by to just talk about their lives, and sometimes their struggles.

"Just to listen and be there to be their sounding board, I like that," Sophia said. "Sometimes all I do is listen, but that is what they need. A lot of them call me mom."