Careers That Help Make Our World A Better Place
Our alumni have incorporated their sociology degrees and training into rewarding careers as Program Coordinators, Policy Analysts, Operations Directors, Advocates, Researchers, Teachers & more in multiple sectors including Human Services, Law Enforcement & the Justice System, Environment & Natural Resources, Food & Globalization.
"It is uncanny that every day I rely on my CSU Sociology education as the foundation for both critical thinking and problem solving in law enforcement. I would like to express my absolute thanks for the education that I received and importantly, how much good Sociology and Criminal Justice studies count. Most importantly, the quality and difference of education gained at CSU makes a difference with the community and my family. Every CSU student should never underestimate how powerful a CSU education is. I am so thankful for my Sociology professors and the meaningful lessons they taught me.” – Jared Redulla (’94), recently appointed to Hawaii Governor Josh Green’s cabinet as Deputy Director of Law Enforcement (Hawaii’s version of the state police)
"I've had opportunities to travel the world, experience numerous cultures, and organize with incredible people from all walks of life. I've founded a handful of local initiatives in different places around the country that have proven successful/helpful to the communities they serve, helped rehabilitate numerous still relevant social justice projects and organizations with limited technical capacity, and have held audience with groups of hundreds of people and with global leaders, too. My time, energy, words, a deeply cultivated network of relationships, and an unwavering commitment to servant leadership, first inspired in large part by my time at CSU, have no doubt inspired at least several thousand additional people beyond myself." – Veronica Garcia ('02), Resource Mobilizer, Wealth Reclamation Academy of Practitioners (WRAP)
Sociology Alumni in Action
"Sociology has taught me that there are always more answers than we think."
– EMILY HOLCOMB ('15), NON-PROFIT PROJECT MANAGER
"If we get creative and are able to see the world through different viewpoints, we can come to manymore solutio ns that are more likely to have an impact and be more true to who they are intended to serve."
"CSU Sociology does a good job of laying a foundation and giving understanding and insight into why certain inequalities exist and how to be open minded and not become part of the problem."
– TEAGAN KAVANAGH (‘15), POLICE DETECTIVE, PARKER POLICE DEPARTMENT
"I enjoyed the theory piece of sociology a lot and understanding why things are the way they are and why things work a certain way.
Whether it’s the theory or actually going out in society and working with people, having that foundation and understanding of the inner workings of society definitely helps with working in it."
"CSU Sociology set me up for success in my career because sociology is working with people."
– MONICA PAEZ (‘15), TITLE V PROJECT DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF AURORA
"A lot of the classes I took helped me understand how people work, where culture comes from, how culture is created, and how people identify with themselves, and I think that really set the foundation that I needed for me to do my job now."
"I learned that my voice was actually needed as I could offer a unique perspective."
– IMANI PATTERSON (‘18), GRADUATE SCHOOL
"As a woman of color, I found myself in a lot of educational and professional spaces that I didn’t feel that I belonged in because of my race and gender."
From Our Undergraduate Alumni
“The incredibly supportive and encouraging Sociology staff at CSU helped me in so many ways, especially in their encouragement for me to present my own research of qualitative data collection and analysis. Being a part of the Sociology Department’s independent research team also allowed me to participate in many intriguing prospective topics.” – Makenzie Molitor (‘11), Substance Abuse Case Manager, Colorado Test Assessing Secondary Completion
“I started majoring in Engineering Science because of my strong math and science background, but I knew I wanted to have a career in some aspect of criminal justice and criminology. After my first sociology class, I switched my major because I enjoyed the study of society and social relations, particularly in relation to crime. My experience at CSU provided me the skills, resources, and networks to be successful. I had professors that challenged me and exposed me to a career in academia that I love. I am proud to be a CSU Ram!” – Clair White (’09) completed her Ph.D. at Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She is a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy at Mason.
"Colorado State University is near and dear to my heart and I am proud to be a CSU Ram! I treasure the education that I have received from CSU. A big thank you to the Sociology department and to all of the professors who have had a huge impact on my knowledge skills and abilities that I use on a daily basis in my career as a Federal Employee." – Dasha Grant ('11), Assistant Facility Manager, USDA-APHIS
“As I studied at Sociology at CSU I began to discover a love for community service through organizations, my classes and AKD. Through my classes I was able to attend a few service trips to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, work as a Teaching Assistant, and intern at the Boys and Girls Club of Fort Collins. My time at CSU also greatly helped expand my worldview.” – Kelli DePriest (’11), Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, former Peace Corps volunteer
“The incredibly supportive and encouraging Sociology staff at CSU helped me in so many ways, especially in their encouragement for me to present my own research of qualitative data collection and analysis on case manager views of offender change in a community corrections setting at the Western Society of Criminology Conference in Vancouver. Being a part of the Sociology Department’s independent research team also allowed me to participate in many intriguing prospective topics.” – Makenzie Molitor (‘11), Substance Abuse Case Manager, Colorado Test Assessing Secondary Completion
I eventually hope to teach, in recognition of the powerful impact many teachers, especially my parents and wonderful professors at CSU, have had on my life.” – Tania Valdez (07), Judicial Law Clerk at U.S. District Courts.
After CSU, Tania worked on a variety of immigration matters as she attended the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She also worked on a variety of housing, immigration, labor, and environmental justice issues at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in El Paso, and at the Indian Law Resource Center in Washington, D.C. Tania conducted legal research for the Center’s work in Guatemala and new work regarding the Rapa Nui people of Chile. She also assisted with a variety of activities regarding climate change initiatives, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and human rights accountability for multilateral development banks. At the Accountability Counsel in San Francisco, she helped provide policy advocacy toward accountability in international finance and development as well as legal aid to project-affected communities in Latin America.
From Our Graduate Student Alumni
“The foundation in Sociology, specialty and cross-disciplinary knowledge in hazards and disasters, and mentorship available in CSU’s Sociology graduate program has been my springboard into amazing opportunities I never even imagined when I was applying to graduate schools.” – Michelle Meyer (’13), Assistant Professor of Sociology at Louisiana State University
“CSU’s intellectual environment was challenging and supportive. The faculty and graduate students I worked with shaped my career in crucial ways as a social science researcher.” – Michael Davern, Executive Vice President of Research, National Opinion Research Center (NORC), University of Chicago
“CSU’s program offers an opportunity to work closely with stellar faculty members who really do value their roles as mentors who provide their students with meaningful experiences that will help them be successful. My educational experiences at Colorado State provided key opportunities for my professional development, and certainly helped me get where I am today. The small size of the program and generally shared research interests among many of the faculty allowed me to plug in to research opportunities and begin to build a publication record. I had an advisor who helped me develop my academic passions and my writing abilities, and worked on publications with other faculty members who were willing to teach me new skills.” – Chelsea Schelly (’13), Associate Professor of Sociology at Michigan Technological University
Where Are They Now?
Zack Golditch and the Hero’s Journey
Before the first bullet was fired, Zack Golditch (’17) was having an exceptional summer. It was July 2012, and he was about to enter his senior year at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colo., where he played football and had just committed to play for Colorado State University.
Sociology, Perspective-Taking, and Law Enforcement
For Assistant Chief Kevin Cronin (’05), sociology changed his worldview and helped him consider a variety of perspectives that he uses in his work as a police officer.
Isabella Wells ensures animal welfare
“When it came to animal welfare, I really wanted a different perspective. That’s why I chose criminology/criminal justice as a minor,” describes Isabella Wells ('22). “It may look different, but there is a lot of overlap between the two – how animals and crime relate, how you prosecute animal abuse, and how you can advocate for animals through policy and legislation.”
Haimy Assefa, “accidental journalist and filmmaker”
Haimy Assefa ('08) has worked for media giants including Fortune magazine, CNN and NBC…often with a focus on global social issues, a theme that is a personal passion of hers.
CSUPD corporal Alisha Zellner rides for positive change
“We all live in the same communities. So many people want everyone to choose a side, and I’m not going to do that. I’m here to try to make my community a better place, and if I can do that by being Black, white and blue – using all of my identities – that’s what I’ll strive to do," says Alisha Zellner ('09).
One crayon at a time: Making a difference for refugee children
“Sociology is not always an uplifting topic,” Chelsea Champ Lopez (‘15) says. “All of my sociology teachers have said that the only way to keep working in the field without getting bogged down is to encourage people to make a difference.”
Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Orcutt ’99
“You have to be able to think your way through,” says Jamie Orcutt ('99). “That’s what sociology taught me.” Jamie enjoys creating webs of connections, brainstorming strategic plans, unifying people from different cultures, navigating gray areas, and making a difference in people’s lives.
Katie Quillin has traveled across the world as part of the Peace Corps to advocate for people facing discrimination and abuse.