Majors: Sociology and Human Development and Family Science
Hometown: East Hartford, CT
Q. What makes the College of Arts and Sciences at URI unique?
A. What I think makes the College of Arts and Sciences unique is the opportunities and amount of support provided by the professors. I came into URI as a transfer sophomore in Sociology and I was immediately impressed by how much the professors wanted to be involved with helping students achieve their goals in and out of the classroom. I had one sociology professor for several classes and have her for my final semester and recently did an assignment where I was told I completed my best work and that is the most rewarding feeling, because she has seen me grow and progress in my abilities over several semesters.
What accomplishments and/or activities at URI are you most proud of now?
Some of the accomplishments I have achieved while at URI include being inducted into the International Honor Society of Sociology. In high school, I was .3 points off of my GPA from being in the honor society and when I was reached out to about joining this one, I felt extremely proud of the work I had done to get where I was. Before coming to URI as a sociology major, I was undecided and I was able to find my passion in this department and it goes to show how hard work can pay off in the end. Another accomplishment outside of our department I got to do was be the VP of retention and President of a club known as Rhody Ambassadors over 2 years. This was my favorite experience because it helped me grow my leadership skills and go outside of my comfort zone as I can be extremely introverted.
What research projects, internships, experiential learning, and/or study abroad programs did you participate in at URI? How did they enhance your education?
One piece of experiential learning that I really enjoyed in the Sociology and Anthropology department at URI was when I took my Aging in Society course my junior year. This is a population I never thought about working with after college, so it was extremely out of my comfort zone. During this class, we performed a project called Cyber-Seniors, where seniors in the area signed up to be paired with a student to have them teach them to use their technology, laptops, phones, etc. This was such a rewarding experience and I even created a bond with my partner! Another part of this class that I wish I got to take part in was an aging-related event called “Disrupt Aging Classroom” where I would have accompanied the same professor as her student partner. Unfortunately, due to COVID, this was canceled, but if I ever had the chance to go to this event again somehow, I would take advantage of that in a heartbeat. The sociology department has allowed me to explore so many different topics that I would never have researched or known about unless I was in this major.
What do you value about your liberal arts education?
I loved my liberal arts education. As a transfer student, who came in undecided, most of my classes were general education courses and I got to finish those up once I arrived at URI. I thank my liberal arts education immensely because I would have never been able to truly understand my passions in the classroom if I wasn’t able to take all of these courses. Upon arrival to URI I had chosen sociology and I have really enjoyed that experience. I am also a double major in human development and family science and that is only because I took an HDF course as a general education and ended up falling in love with it. As much as general education courses may seem annoying to some, I have them to thank for helping me get the degrees I am now.