S
ociology concentration: Family Studies/Social Work
2nd Major: Anthropology
Additional training/education: Masters of Divinity
Current job: Vicar at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion and Hospital Chaplain
Why did you decide to major in Sociology? I knew from a young age I wanted to pursue a call into ministry and become a Pastor. I wanted to reach the people I would be ministering to that much more. So, I believed sociology would complement this and give me the tools to understand people from various backgrounds. Sociology showed me how to study social interactions, relationships, and cultures. It showed me how cultures play a factor in how societies are formed.
How has your Sociology degree (what you learned in your classes, readings, assignments, etc.) helped you in your job (and personal life)? Sociology taught me how to better understand people. To examine the factors that attribute to people doing what they do and thinking what they think. This can be seen on the courses that focused on cultural and comparative sociology. Those courses gave me insightful exposure to cross-cultural experiences and shared values within a culture.
How has your Sociology degree (what you learned in your classes, readings, assignments, etc.) helped you in your job (and personal life)? My sociology degree offered me the tools and resources to meet people where they are in life. We are all shaped by our environment, culture and societal affiliations so it is imperative that we acknowledge it and see how to better treat and or teach people from various backgrounds. This can be seen in how I minister to people from all walks of life.
What is your fondest memory of a Sociology class? Professor Liu passionately explaining statistics to us and the class finally getting it. As well, as Professor Hoffner taking us on excursions across Manhattan and having sociology come alive in the city that never sleeps.
Do you have any tips for current Wagner (Sociology) students? At times the course may seem hard and irrelevant but it’s not. Sociology is all around us.