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.
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.
“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?
‘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.
Haimy Assefa (‘08), “accidental journalist and filmmaker”
“Assefa 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.”
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.”
Young Alumni Q & A: Kate Quillin (‘09)
Katie Quillin has traveled across the world as part of the Peace Corps to advocate for people facing discrimination and abuse.