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How has your ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Sociology education and experience informed your work and life?

I write personal essays and cultural criticism pieces that put societal structures and individual narratives in conversation with one another. How are the roles in my family shifting as I step into adulthood? Does capitalism make our relationships more transactional? What do we teach young men and women about consent, both in the home and in classrooms? I use my sociological imagination to ask and (attempt to) answer these questions, but now with a more creative and accessible vocabulary and structure.

What are the one or two events, courses, or people that stand out in your mind from your time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

In my senior year, I was able to serve as a student interviewer for the sociology department’s new faculty hiring process. As someone who also wants to teach at the university level, it was very fruitful for me to hear candidates explain their teaching philosophies, and how they aim to create equitable classrooms where students of various intersectional identities can learn to the best of their abilities. This was the type of opportunity I could only have at a small school like ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, which encourages its students to actively take part in shaping not only our own education, but also the experiences of future students at the college.

What advice do you have for current and prospective ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Sociology students?

Take theory (SOC2030) early! And get excited about its applications to modern-day issues. It was one of my favorite classes in the major, because it gave me a rich toolkit of lenses and theories to use in every other class.

And ask for help! It’s really not embarrassing. Like at all. I promise.

How has your ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Sociology education and experience informed your work and life?

My sociology education at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ has been instrumental in both my professional work and personal life! Coming from inner-city Los Angeles, I remember feeling very confused and overwhelmed by the change in environment, and sociology helped put those feelings into words and academic research that empowered my sense of being and purpose in the realm of higher education.

For example, Sociology in Education with Ingrid Nelson [associate professor of sociology], was one of the first courses at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ that equipped me with the language, theory, and practice to synthesize my undergraduate journey as a first generation student from a low income background.

Sociology 1101 [Introduction to Sociology] with Theo Greene [associate professor of sociology] helped connect me to racial theories and historical texts that helped me articulate my personal experiences as a first-generation Asian-American at an elite institution, and “The Wire”: Race, Class, Gender, and the Urban Crisis with Brian Purnell [associate professor of Africana studies and history] helped me understand my home of Los Angeles with a broader, multi-dimensional perspective of the city. Altogether, this has made me a much more informed person with plenty to talk about at dinner parties or in conversations with friends (sometimes much to their chagrin).

What are the one or two events, courses, or people that stand out in your mind from your time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

I remember Professor Purnell's three-page essays for his Wire class. I was ecstatic! However, there was so much to talk about given the material, so it made me a better writer by forcing me to be more concise, decisive, and clear with my points and my writing. Conversely, I also remember my independent research project with Professor Nelson from my junior to senior year. I have never done a research project of this scale before, so it was intimidating. In the end, I was glad that by committing to the research process, I was able to gain more agency in my articulation of the living world and develop more consistent writing and research habits that carry to this day.

What advice do you have for current and prospective ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Sociology students?

My advice: give it a try! College is a time to explore and find out. It is much, much harder to get funding for your research after your time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, so take advantage of all the funds, summer internships, and conferences that you can. Though at the time it might be hard to see its payoffs (or it may seem a lot), just simply trying provides so much more experience on which you can build a foundation for your future work or journey. You don't even have to end up doing exactly that—sometimes, what you learn along the way and the people you meet can contribute to your job or journey in other fields, as sociology is very, very multi-faceted and applicable.

How has your ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ education and experience helped you and informed the work that you do?

The ability to think critically and write quickly is essential for good script coverage. I honed those skills at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, thanks to all of those essay assignments! The spirit of the Common Good will definitely guide my career in entertainment. I want to create series that are both entertaining and socially responsible.

Has studying Sociology impacted your perspective?

Sociology gave me permission to be both curious and critical about all aspects of life. I love how it encourages big picture thinking and analysis of everything we usually take for granted. Sociology is how I found my way back into creative writing and validated that even entertainment can deeply impact how society works. Sociology is a special lens that forces me to consider all sides of every issue and go beyond knee-jerk judgments. The sociological imagination is a great gateway to storytelling – it’s all about getting to the root of who we are and why.

What are the one or two events, courses or people that stand out in your mind from your time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

Researching, writing, and producing a performance of my first full-length play with help from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ students and faculty. And sleeping in the President’s office as a first-year to protest for divestment!

Do you have any advice for current student at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

Don’t be afraid to try things and don’t be afraid to quit things. Say yes to as many opportunities as possible, but be patient with yourself. You might want to do something that the College does not offer, which can be frustrating. But there are always resources available for you to use to do that thing yourself, and plenty of people willing to support / guide you. Follow your passions fully while you are in a small, nurturing space. Go abroad! Join a new club! Perform! Protest! Whatever! Define your own comfort zone and constantly push the boundaries.

 

What is your occupation? What is your current job (roles and responsibilities)?

I am a PhD student in the Sociology program at Duke University. Prior to starting graduate school I was a paralegal for a law firm in Massachusetts that specialized in family- and business-based immigration law. My role was to assist the family-based side of the practice and work directly with foreign nationals tying to achieve lawful status and make a life for themselves in the United States. I hope to use this experience to inform my own research and future work.

How has your ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ education and experience helped you and informed the work that you do?

At ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I never felt like I was learning just for the sake of learning, and my classes and my work always felt purposeful and related to real-world issues. I feel that this really laid the groundwork for my path to graduate school, and I hope to take this same approach to the work that I am doing and hope to do in the future, especially around issues of race, identity, and belonging.

Has studying Sociology and Anthropology impacted your perspective (personally, professionally, or other)? If so, how?

Studying Sociology has made me more aware of the things going on around me, and opened my eyes to a lot of issues that are sometimes taken for granted. My research has also taught me that there's always more than one way to look at a problem, and to keep an open mind when thinking about a particular issue or research question because sometimes what we think is going on or what we perceive from the outside doesn't reflect what is actually happening. Personally, what I like most about the field is that it gives me the tools to address questions that I had already been asking my whole life, but it allows me to do so while drawing from a variety of perspectives and approaches to get a fuller picture.

What are the one or two events, courses or people that stand out in your mind from your time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

Two things that stand out to me from my time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ are my advisors, who went above and beyond for four years to work with me, challenge me, and push me to be a better student and sociologist, and my theory class with Dr. Theo Greene, which was the academic catalyst that pushed me toward doing independent research and considering graduate school more seriously.

Do you have any advice for current student at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

Make the most of your time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ and don't be afraid to do things that challenge you!

How has your ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ education and experience helped you and informed the work that you do?

Studying sociology at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ gave me a unique set of skills that has noticeably set me apart from most who work in finance and advertising. Most notably, majoring in sociology equipped me with the skills necessary to comfortably situate particular complex problems within a larger structural framework of understanding and feel comfortable handling large sets of data. Both frequently come in handy in marketing. It also goes without saying that learning how to effectively write about people's actions and behaviors with accuracy and nuance is a valuable asset in analyzing markets and purchasing behaviors.

Has studying Sociology and Anthropology impacted your perspective (personally, professionally, or other)? If so, how?

Sociology has immeasurably impacted how I view and experience the world by elucidating overarching social structures that are active everywhere, constantly influencing the lives of myself and others. Moreover, sociology has also given me an especially valuable, macroscopic perspective that has proven useful in finding my place in the world post-ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.

What are the one or two events, courses or people that stand out in your mind from your time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

I have many fond memories of Professor Greene's course on the classics of social theory. What I appreciate the most about this class is that I was exposed to a wide breadth of influential social theory that has irreversibly changed my worldview and incessantly informs how I interpret current events. The course was also especially challenging at times, which made me a more skilled social thinker.

Do you have any advice for current student at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

The most significant general advice that I can give to a student of sociology at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ is to embrace your sociological imagination and continue to cultivate it inside and outside of the classroom. Possessing an attuned sociological imagination will prove useful in many unexpected places and provide you with an incredibly valuable and rewarding way of seeing and experiencing the world. Also, start learning how to network successfully as early as possible.

How has your ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ education and experience helped you and informed the work that you do?

ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ helped me improve the way I write, analyze social issues and think critically about research and the way society works.

Has studying Sociology and Anthropology impacted your perspective (personally, professionally, or other)? If so, how?

Yes! Studying sociology impacted my personal life because it helped me put into word the issues that I had seen and experienced in my life, but didn´t know how to explain. Professionally I feel I learned how to be much more critical about the way society is organized,