Sophia Tocco Transforms Her Passion into Purpose Through Public Relations as an Identical Triplet
By: Michaela Walzer
Some people grow up with a sibling who doubles as a best friend. For PR student, Sophia Tocco, she was lucky enough to grow up with two.
Tocco, an identical triplet and public relations major at Michigan State University, has experienced life alongside her sisters from the beginning. From shared classrooms to years of dance recitals and nearly every milestone in between, the three have remained inseparable.
“You always have a support system around you, no matter what,” Tocco said. “I knew they would always understand me, and it’s almost like we had a different understanding of each other.”
While that bond remains central to her life, college prompted Tocco to think more intentionally about her direction outside of the trio.
“It kind of took me a second to get here,” she said. “So much of our life, people would group us together — and honestly, we did, too.”
Tocco began her college career as a communications major before switching to human resources, though neither felt right. Drawn to branding, storytelling and social media, MSU’s PR program balanced her creativity with communication.
“It was kind of a trial run, and then I ended up falling in love with it,” said Tocco. “It felt like a good mix between everything I wanted to do.”
In the AD+PR classrooms, she built confidence in her creative instincts. Group projects and campaign planning challenged her to trust her ideas.
“I didn’t think I was a very creative person until I started working on projects,” she said. “You start to build ideas off people. I’ve never felt more inspired by a career path.”
Outside of the classroom, Tocco expanded her skills through Spartans Empower Body Acceptance (link here), a student organization promoting body positivity that encourages students to feel comfortable in their own skin. As SEBA’s social media chair, she manages content, designs graphics and aligns messaging with the organization’s mission.
“It made me find a voice within social media,” she said. “But not through my own page, instead through an organization that’s helping others.”
While Tocco pursued public relations, her sisters followed different academic paths, one in advertising, the other in nutrition. Slowly, their paths began to differentiate. Their differences strengthened rather than divided them.
“College really gave us a way to dive into our own interests and personalities,” said Tocco. “We can experience college together and still have our own unique paths.”
Tocco reflects on the risks that shaped her path, including switching majors, trusting her instincts and embracing change.
“The most growth comes from the uncomfortable situations you put yourself in,” she said.
Her journey through public relations proves that finding your voice does not require leaving your support system behind. Instead, it requires the courage to explore who you are within it.
Students interested in exploring similar career paths can find more information at Michigan State University’s Advertising and Public Relations Student Experience here.
