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