The Student Experience Division today announces the selection of Lucio Maffei and Sofia Rodriguez as the Class of 2024 Senior Class Marshals. In this role, Maffei and Rodriguez will spend their senior year serving as the all-University representatives for their class and conclude their experience by leading the student procession during the 2024 Commencement ceremony.
“Throughout their student experience, Lucio and Sofia have distinguished themselves as changemakers. They exemplify leadership, commitment to service and academic excellence in all that they do, and they strive to make a positive impact on the world around them. As Senior Class Marshals, I know they will carry forward these same attributes and serve as outstanding representatives for the Class of 2024,” says Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience and chair of the selection committee.
Lucio Maffei
Lucio Maffei
Hailing from West Orange, New Jersey, Maffei is a junior majoring in political philosophy and ethics in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He is a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and has earned academic accolades spanning Dean’s List recognition each semester, selection as a Maxwell School Leadership Scholar for his academic excellence and exceptional leadership abilities, and an Invest in Success Scholarship recipient for his strong academic performance beginning in his first semester.
In his time on campus, Maffei has fully immersed himself in his academic pursuits and fostered community among those majoring in philosophy and who share an interest in philosophy. He founded and now serves as president of Phi Sigma Tau International Philosophy Honor Society and serves as vice president of the Philosophy Club. To support undergraduate students interested in research, he also founded and serves as editor-in-chief of Aurantium, an undergraduate philosophy journal.
Leading new initiatives has resonated across Maffei’s time on campus. In his first year at Syracuse, Maffei launched the Helpful and Ethical Leadership Project (HELP) to address needs he recognized in the local community primarily focused on poverty and homelessness. Since founding HELP in 2020, Maffei has worked with fellow students to organize clothing drives to benefit the Rescue Mission, raise funds to support Ukrainian refugees and volunteer with Meals on Wheels. In his role as a Senior Class Marshal, Maffei says he hopes “to extend and support more efforts that help impoverished and unhoused communities in Central New York.”
Among his other leadership roles, Maffei was recently elected the president of the Mock Trial team at Syracuse University, and previously served as quartermaster, captain and an executive board member of the team. He is also a board member of the Mock Trial Association of America’s National Student Advisory Board, as well as a member of the Pre-Law Society.
Maffei is also a leader when it comes to his service to others on campus. In his roles as a resident advisor for the last two academic years, as well as a peer leader for the First Year Seminar, Maffei has had a chance to support first-year students in their transition to college life and build connection with the Orange community.
Similar to his other roles on campus, Maffei takes on this responsibility with great pride and deep commitment as he looks forward to representing his peers to the larger community.
“I think that students are the voice of our generation and I want to be a part of channeling and directing that voice to make our community and world a better place,” says Maffei. “I am proud to be a Syracuse University student, and to be able to serve my peers in this capacity means the world to me.”
Sofia Rodriguez
Sofia Rodriguez
Rodriguez is a junior majoring in communication and rhetorical studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts from Miami Gardens, Florida. Recognized for her extraordinary academic and leadership potential, Rodriguez is a Posse Leadership Scholar who has also been recognized for her creative talent as a Gold Key recipient in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. While on campus, she has also earned Dean’s List recognition each semester and the Highest Academic Achievement Award as an Our Time Has Come Scholar.
Building upon her academic experiences, Rodriguez applies her communication skills to further her passion for creating connections among her peers, alumni and the greater Syracuse community. As a co-host of “Shades of ’Cuse,” Rodriguez aims to expand the network of current students and Posse Scholars by sharing the stories of alumni. She has done the same as an Our Time Has Come Scholar by supporting alumni and community events that bring people together.
Supporting other students transcends every facet of Rodriguez’s on-campus experience. She has served as a resident advisor for the last two academic years and a peer leader for the First Year Seminar. To support first-generation college students, Rodriguez has also organized guest speakers, discussions and community-building opportunities through Many2Come. She is also an active member of the Black Student Union, a club dedicated to create and support spaces for the Black community.
Being selected as a Senior Class Marshal signals that she has accomplished what she set out to do when joining Syracuse University—“giving my all to this community and helping us do better while being better,” says Rodriguez. “I hope to use the role as a tool to foster communication and help create more equitable space for those who may be unseen or forgotten.”
Beyond her roles on campus, Rodriguez is the founder and communications director for a nonprofit organization, With Love, that serves undocumented Latine refugees with translation, housing, food and job search resources. She also spent last summer as a communication and policy intern with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C. As a Posse Scholar, she has interned with the Posse Foundation to assist with fundraising efforts and event management to benefit scholars.
When thinking about why she applied, Rodriguez says she wanted to “make her community proud, have the best year yet, and show that an Afro-Latine womxn from Miami could represent what it means to be Orange.”
Now that she has received this honor, Rodriguez looks to those who have supported her along the way.
“Being selected as a Senior Class Marshal means that every sacrifice my mom and dad made was worth it. I would not have made it this far without their support and dedication to my successes,” says Rodriguez, “Syracuse has given me purpose and support that has changed my life. I will forever be grateful and proud to be surrounded by such incredible people who have supported me—Bradley Seymour, Helen Pepin, Maria Lopez, Easton Davis, Jersey Cosantino, Posse, Gabe, Javi, my friends and my family. You are all my greatest accomplishment.”
