Prof. Susan Tripathy Thomson's class Helps the Homeless People of Lowell

From left to right, 
Christian Nambu
Emily DelDotto
Katelyn Sanderson
Melvin Gomez

Over the course of the 2015 Spring Semester, Prof. Thomson's class has been volunteering at sites throughout the Lowell Community. One group had the pleasure of volunteering at Living Waters Center of Hope in downtown Lowell. Living Waters is non-profit, volunteer run, drop in center for anyone in need. They offer services to the homeless and the housed. Services include Feeding/hunger relief, Guest Services and Homeless Outreach, Educational Support, and Therapeutic/Recreations programs.

Students from Thomson's class volunteered at Living Waters for 3 hours a week throughout the semester. Their regular duties included serving coffee, preparing breakfast for the homeless, and helping with special projects in the Center. One special project coordinated by the students was a pizza party for the homeless named "PizzArt", where the homeless were able to paint pictures and tap into their creative side while snacking on Pizza.

Since March, the group helped organize and plan the event "Different Strokes of the Same Brush: The Homeless Story" Art Exhibit, held on April 18th. The event's purpose was to tell the story of the homeless of Lowell through their own original artwork. The artwork created at the "PizzArt" paint night was displayed throughout  Living Waters, along side quotes from the artist about their experiences dealing with homelessness.

 The students found experiencing the homeless at a personal level very eye opening, "We know about homelessness, we hear about it all the time and even walk by homeless people in Lowell, but this experience put a face to it. Getting to know them personally I learned that they have goals and self respect, they're hardworking and not just sitting around in life" student volunteer Christian Nambu explained. Living Waters "provides a hopeful place and a peaceful environment for people to come, there's no swearing or fighting, they can come just come to talk and express their feelings, it's a community" said Melvin Gomez. The students found the experience very rewarding and personal. Their volunteer work helped change and shape their attitudes toward homelessness. They hope to continue their volunteer work at Living Waters until the end of the Spring 2015 semester.

2015 Graduate Margaret Marcouillier describes her experience as a Sociology Major and her future plans!

I transferred to UMASS Lowell and became a Sociology Major in the fall of 2013.  My decision to major in Sociology changed my life. The Sociology department at UMAS Lowell is unlike any other department on campus. All of the teachers in the department are amazing and they are always supportive of their students. Since it is a smaller department, you become close to all of your teachers and fellow sociology majors; it’s like a small family. The classes and the department helped me choose what I would do after graduation. I was able to take classes that I found interesting, classes that helped me think in different ways, and classes that pushed me in my personal life too. I have taken a few service learning classes that I would recommend to anyone. I had opportunities to observe different locations and interview different people to give me a first-hand, real world experience of what I was learning in my classes.

I’ve learned so much about myself through my experiences, and I have decided to go onto graduate school when I am finished at UMASS Lowell. I have been accepted into the Assumption College program of School Counseling. I plan to become a high school counselor and I hope to help change the lives of the younger generations like UMASS Lowell has done for me.

See What Alumnus Michael Wilkinson is doing post-graduation and the advice he has for current students!

  

Since graduating from the UMass Lowell Sociology program back in December, I have found a job working for the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development at Tufts University. At the Tufts CSDD I have been working with Microsoft Excel and S&P Capital IQ, to do research on operating pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. I have also assisted in writing several letters of solicitation to various companies and foundations, proposing projects that we might do in exchange for grant funding. However, the most interesting thing I have done has been to propose a long-term, multimillion dollar precision medicine research collaboration to senior members of the Tufts CSDD and Northeastern University.

I could never have landed this research job without support from the entire faculty of the Sociology Department. In particular Professor Charlotte Ryan and Jannette Marquez were instrumental in helping me during my time at UML and in completing and presenting my Honors Thesis.

My advice for current students would be to be sure and embrace all the resources you have at your disposal, especially the professors that teach your classes. Every member of the Sociology department is more than happy to help you with any trouble you may be having and even just to chat about mundane topics. They will greatly enjoy hearing what you have to say and you just might make a friend for life. Feel free to drop in and talk to Jannette at any time too, she gets lonely in her office. Also never underestimate the value of the critical thinking skills you are taught in the sociology classroom. While you might not be able to directly put this on your resume or brag about it on a list of your accomplishments, it is a skill that will help you for the remainder of your lives and shape the way you see the world. 

Sociology student Nicole Lynch hired as The Emerging Scholars Program Coordinator!

The Emerging Scholars Program happily brought on board Sociology student Nicole Lynch as the "Emerging Scholars Program Coordinator". The Emerging Scholars Program provides students with a unique year-long opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from courses at UMASS Lowell to a faculty member's on-going research. Students who participate gain valuable research experience and build on their classroom learning. Nicole completed the rigorous Emerging Scholars Program during the 2013-2014 academic year. After noticing her hard work ethic, the Program interviewed Nicole and decided she would be the best fit as the Program Coordinator. 

As the Program Coordinator, Nicole acts as the liaison between the students, the Program, and the faculty members. She mainly communicates with the current emerging scholars to better help guide them throughout the program. "I coordinate monthly meetings with the Emerging Scholar's students to provide a place that we can touch base and come together as a group" said Nicole.

 A great way to get through such an academically rigorous program is by having a strong support system, and her monthly meetings help facilitate a supportive learning environment. "The students can talk freely about their concerns with honesty, and they can receive support and encouragement from myself and other students. All of the students really get to learn from one another and grow throughout the year." After each meeting, Nicole reports back to members of the Leadership Team of the Program. The meetings held by Nicole help give the students a voice, as well as feedback of ways to better improve the Emerging Scholars Program.

 She also plays an essential role in the development and growth of the program, in addition to recruiting new Scholars for next year. Nicole is part of the application and admission process for next years Emerging Scholars. 

 A background in Sociology has given Nicole the tools she needs to excel in her role as Program Coordinator, "I have been able to draw upon my people skills, as well as other valuable skills such as, reading people, empathy, and reading situations, all of which are drawn from my knowledge base in Sociology." 

 The Emerging Scholars Program is an invaluable opportunity for networking with professors, fostering relationships with professors, and developing solid research skills. The Program prepared Nicole for her decision to pursue graduate study after completing her undergraduate degree. She hopes to obtain a Master's Degree in Counseling. If any students are interested in the Emerging Scholars Program and would like more information contact Nicole Lynch at Nicole_Lynch2@student.uml.edu

Alumnus Allison Hajjar works as a Therapeutic Training and Support Mentor after graduation!

 

After graduating in 2013, I began working for The Key Program as a “Therapeutic Training and Support” and “Therapeutic Mentor”. The positions are part of the Massachusetts Children's Behavioral Health Initiative, which is an interagency initiative with the mission to “strengthen, expand and integrate Massachusetts state services into a comprehensive, community-based system of care, to ensure that families and their children with significant behavioral, emotional and mental health needs obtain the services necessary for success in home, school and community.” I generally work with youth (ages 5-21) and their caregivers to assist them in meeting their particular goals. Because every family has their own unique situation and goals, my work greatly varies from client to client. Typical parts of my job are, planning a community based activity for a client, assisting with an In-home Therapy session, assisting a family with coordinating with other service providers, and helping a client or parent navigate systems (school/IEP, DCF, DMH, etc.) My sociology degree provided me with a “big picture” view and very global perspective that has allowed me to be empathetic when working in direct care. Studying under the passionate professors in the UML Sociology Department also taught me to be investigative and innovative. These skills are vital to having an understanding of the population you are working with and being creative, but still effective in how you are improving the issues before you, no matter if they are on an individual level or systematic. My advice to current students: don’t be afraid to talk with professors and other community leaders. Networking helps you know what career options are out there and what employers are looking for.

Laura Carter starts career as a Behavior Therapist after graduating with a Sociology degree!

 

My name is Laura Carter. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a degree in Sociology in 2013. For the past two years, I have been working as a Behavior Therapist for Beacon ABA Services, Inc. I provide in-home early intervention services to young children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I work extensively with these children and their families to help increase personal independence and adaptive skills within the home. During my time with this company, I have been promoted to a Lead Therapist. As a Lead Therapist, I am responsible for the development, implementation and daily oversight of programs for each of my clients.
My experience with the Umass Lowell Sociology Department was nothing short of amazing. The professors went above and beyond to help me succeed and were always there to offer me guidance when I needed it. My advisor helped me explore potential careers and gave me great advice on Graduate programs when I was considering applying. I appreciated the fact that I was able to form close relationships with my peers because of the close-knit sociology community. Also, I really valued the practicum experience I got through the sociology department. I was given the opportunity to work with a newly emerging non-profit organization that offers financial literacy services to low-income women. It opened my eyes to the non-profit world and inspired me to work in a direct service field. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the experiences I had with the sociology program.

Alumnus Kayla Walkling's thoughts on her experiences in the Sociology and landing a career she loves!

 

When I first started at UMass Lowell I had a vague interest in social studies and human services, but no clue of what type of work or which populations I would prefer to serve. I first became more familiar with Sociology by taking a few classes with Professor Adrian Cruz, who was always enthusiastic and interested in helping me define my passion. Later, Professor Mignon Duffy and Professor Charlotte Ryan (my advisor) directed me towards practicum opportunities with local organizations. I first volunteered with Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership and then interned with Budget Buddies. These experiences allowed me to try different aspects of social services including direct work with people, data analysis, and more. In my last year I was a research assistant through the Emerging Scholars program (which Professor Duffy is great at promoting!). The experiences previously mentioned prepared me well enough for that position, and the program itself turned out to be the most valuable opportunity I had as an undergraduate. It combined so many facets of Sociology, including things I had learned in the two research methods classes, in a real-life application. My year-long project with the Emerging Scholars Program was a qualitative investigation of youth perspectives on violence and community in Lowell. I helped facilitate focus groups with youth, produce creative projects, do hands-on data collection (transcribing, coding, thematic analysis), and and participate in professional research conferences. Although much of the work overlapped with psychology, it was mainly a full immersion into what research and direct work with people entails. I learned how committed I was to working with youth, as well as to analyzing issues and possible solutions for community issues. Since I've graduated, I've been working as a Peer Mentor for a community service agency in southeast Massachusetts. My position is funded through a Department of Mental Health grant that aims to improve services for transition-aged youth across the state. My work is an awesome blend of direct work with clients, community outreach, data collection, and research. I help support young adults with mental health challenges with advice on how to navigate mental health services, find local resources, and generally transition into young adulthood. Additionally, I get to collect data for DMH, collaborate with other organizations, and participate in statewide committees advocating for youth voice. I love my job and am still surprised at how it incorporates so many things I learned in school. I hope to eventually earn a Master's degree as I advance in the agency and learn even more about what I am passionate about. Beyond all the research, studying Sociology allowed me to have cultural competency and understand how individuals impact and are impacted by their communities.