A lifelong Missourian, Sophia Southard graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a master's degree in library and information science. She has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Kansas. Sophia has interned at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, and the Library of Congress. Her most recent internship was at the archives of Everglades National Park where she processed collections, created social media posts, and even held a baby crocodile. After escaping the wilds of south Florida, Sophia returned to Missouri to join the Kansas City Research Center as an archivist in 2022.