Scholar Stories: Homan Forever Maize and Blue, With a Bit of 'Green,' Too
9/24/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each week MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories.
By Jonathan Franchi
Persistence on and off the playing field has paid dividends for Sophie Homan. A Rochester Hills, Mich., native, Homan has had maize and blue in her blood from a young age. Always wanting to be a part of the leaders and best, Homan worked her way to the top as a goalkeeper in soccer. When she joined her club soccer team at 12 years old, playing up against 18 year olds, and became aware of her opportunity to pursue playing collegiate soccer, the University of Michigan was at the top of her list.
"Michigan kind of hits all the aspects for me. Incredible academics, and that championship mindset is such a privilege to be a part of," she said. "The culture really is bigger than yourself, and the phrase, 'Those who stay will be champions,' is real and is the standard for us as a team and as a school."
That drive for excellence instilled by the Michigan culture has pushed Homan to new heights, but it did not come without some initial rocky roads. Coming into Michigan as a freshman, Homan had several upperclassmen ahead of her on the depth chart, a difficult pill to swallow at such a young age. After playing mostly as a reserve player for her first four years, she is now the starting goalkeeper and is thriving in her starting role, highlighted by a recent Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week Award for her six-save performance against Ohio State. In addition to this achievement, Homan was voted a team captain this season, an honor that means a lot to her. She had to do some much needed soul searching during those prior seasons, but she is incredibly grateful for the journey, finding her core values in life along the way.
"That soul searching for my first year or two really shaped me into who I am as a person. I dove deep into my faith and who I am outside of soccer," Homan said. "The journey was hard, but I think it was definitely needed to find who I am and how worthy I am outside of the sport. It was such a life-changing experience in my time here, from rock bottom all the way to where I am now."
Pushing through that journey was no easy process, and she did not do it alone. Homan is appreciative of her supportive family for always having her back and for the Michigan coaching staff for helping her become a complete player and believing in her every step of the way. By working tirelessly with her goalkeeper coach, Tori Christ, Homan was able to refine her skills and develop into the player she is today.
While Homan has been excelling on the field, she has been just as impressive off the field. A recipient of the Maize and Blue Award and "The Bo" Coaches Award, along with being named Academic All-Big Ten and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Homan has always had a team-first mentality and has strived to be a leader for Michigan Soccer. That same mentality has followed her off the pitch.
Homan discovered a new passion for environment and sustainability through her major of environmental sciences. Not being aware of this passion beforehand, Homan has had several experiences that opened her eyes to the world of sustainability -- highlighted by a trip to Greece with her teammate over the summer after her sophomore year.
"During my sophomore summer, my teammate Sierra (Sargent) and I lived in Greece for the summer, where we studied sustainability and conservation through the College of Athens. Every week, we worked for a different nonprofit in Greece and studied microplastics, pollution and the human impact that we have on the oceans and the environment. It was so rewarding, and it was such a life-changing experience, and I feel like that experience sparked my full love for sustainability."
Homan wants to pursue a professional playing career in soccer in the U.S. or abroad after her time at Michigan, but she would love to combine her two passions of environmental sustainability and sports into a dream job. Currently, she is in an accelerated master's program where she will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a degree in environmental policy. Eventually, she wants to get her law degree and work for an energy company, where she can make a large-scale impact. Stemming from her leadership skills on the soccer field, Homan has taken the initiative to start her own student environmental club at Michigan.
"I just started a club called Student Athlete Sustainability Initiative," she said. "We will be working to find solutions and improvements in the athletic department -- whether that's regarding transportation, food, maybe piloting a career venture trip -- and we are going to present our solutions to the department. We want to be the voice of the students in terms of sustainability."
Despite what looked like a long road ahead, Homan has been able to flourish at Michigan, reaping the benefits of a premier public institution. Aspiring to be a part of the championship culture at Michigan, she has been able to excel in areas she never expected. With her supportive family always by her side, she has never lost sight of her goals and values. With everything coming together on and off the field, Homan's persistence has really paid off, and in the grand scheme of things, she is just getting started.
