Priscilla Pinchem (Class of 2022. Administrative Assistant at the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, University of Michigan)
“My Sociology training enabled me to get a position that I really like soon after graduating. I work as an Administrative Assistant in the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects at the University of Michigan. My Sociology degree prepared me for my current position by providing me with opportunities to gain valuable job experience as a student. For example, I worked as a teaching assistant and research assistant in the Sociology Department. In addition, I gained experience conducting research as part of my Sociology curriculum. The familiarity with research that my student work and my classes provided me with helped me to stand out when I applied for my position. My Sociology training also helped me to develop the attention to detail, effective communication, problem solving, and critical thinking skills that enable me to succeed in the detail oriented, team environment of my job. I’m so grateful for the amazing support, guidance, and opportunities that my Sociology professors provided me with!”
Jack Marsden (Class of 2018. Clinical Social Worker at the University of Michigan Health System)
“My passion for sociology is what led me to clinical social work. My training in sociology is instrumental in understanding the systematic and structural roots of what impacts the welfare of the patients I work with. My lens is able to encompass more than just the medical model; I am able to see the person in the context of their socialization and environment. Studies in medical sociology have helped me take a critical lens to how healthcare as an institution has negatively impacted people of marginalized identities. The research skills training provided by the program has helped prepare me for research in a clinical setting. I love what I do, and I feel like I use my sociological imagination every day.”