Class: 2016
Current Position: Wish Coordinator for Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York

I chose to study sociology because I wanted to better understand how our society influences our actions, and vice versa. Specifically, I was hoping to gain more knowledge in how social services intertwines and is affected by the diversity our society sees growing more and more every day—and I did!

There are a lot of great memories I have from being in the sociology department—my internship, classroom interactions with faculty, working on research projects with faculty, and meeting other students. The faculty is incredibly welcoming and always willing to answer questions or hold further discussions about topics that were discussed in class. I credit a lot of my success both in school and now in my career to the sociology professors at UB. Meeting and getting to know other sociology students was another highlight of my undergraduate program; there are many times I can remember learning new perspectives by talking with other students.

My sociology degree helped me get started in my career. My sociology internship was with the same organization I work for now. My degree has given me the skills needed to perform well in my position as a Wish Coordinator, and has given me the platform to grow my career in the nonprofit sector. I am continuously using the tools and knowledge I learned in my sociology courses to better understand the people I work with and how I can best serve them, given the ever-changing societal ideals around us.

I would recommend the sociology program to others because it will change their perspective on their surroundings. It put the world in a different perspective for me by showing me how the interchanging relationships we have with one another come together to form a bigger picture. The department offers a variety of different courses that have focuses on a wide range of topics; there truly is something for everyone in this department.