校友

Lewis sociology graduates are enrolled in a number of graduate and professional schools, 攻读社会学专业, 城市研究, 公共政策, 社会工作与法律. 

最近的校友包括阿隆德拉·冈萨雷斯这样的人. 在这里,女士. Gonzalez talks about her passion for 社会学 and how it influences her graduate studies, 社区参与, 职业生涯计划, 和更多的.

Alondra冈萨雷斯

“I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and 社会学 in 2019 and will complete my Master of Social Work in May 2021. I never planned on obtaining a degree in 社会学; it found me. I was required to take a social justice class to fulfill my general education requirements, 这门课改变了我的人生!

Criminal Justice and 社会学 are extremely intertwined and go hand in hand when learning about the justice system. I quickly fell in love with sociological theory and I was able to learn to see the world from different perspectives. 我继续学习社会学课程, I found myself becoming more 和更多的 passionate about societal issues and wanting to become involved in the community.

While in undergrad, my interests included urban education, women’s studies, and criminology. I also helped organize a campus drive to collect women’s menstruation products and bras that we donated to unhoused women through “I Support the Girls”—a program providing menstrual products to women experiencing homelessness and poverty. 毕业后, 我发现自己进入了心理健康领域, which allows me a number of ways of using my 社会学 degree. I decided to pursue a Master of Social Work to continue focusing on the micro-, 中间, and macro-level and to make connections with societal issues, 如种族, 收入, and education level that are impacting mental health.

我每天都在学习社会学，因为它, I developed a critical understanding of the functioning of society and the ability to point out possible social issues impacting individuals and their families when I interact with them. 目前, I am working as a Child Protection Specialist through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. I love being able to go out in the community and speak with families and find needed resources for them. I am also employed at Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital as an Assessment and Referral Technician where I assist clinicians in the admission process for patients needing psychiatric admission. I ensure patients and families understand their rights and consent processes prior to admittance to the hospital’s programs. 在两个位置上, I am able to see how societal oppressions impact individuals and families: from health insurance to mental health to the ways parenting styles affecting their children. I am also able to see the resilience present in the community, including reuniting families in the community after they receive needed resources.

My future plans furthering my education include getting a Master of Arts in 社会学 or possibly a Master of Jurisprudence in Children’s Law. My advice for prospective students is: it’s never too late to choose your passion. Whether you’re 15 and planning your future career or 50 and changing your career, do what you love! 社会学是我的爱好，你呢?”

伊娃·冈萨雷斯，LCSW

2015届毕业生

I had begun my years at Lewis University with my goal to enter the field of mental health. 当我有机会获得第二专业时, I did not realize how impactful the decision to study 社会学 would be on later obtaining my Masters in Social Work and serving clients through a holistic lens. My time as a 社会学 student transformed the way I viewed the work with individuals in that it challenged me to recognize the impact of systems and histories as well as helped me understand the purpose of having challenging conversations needed to do the work we strive to get done in the field of mental health. I am particularly grateful for the support and guidance from Dr. Tennille Allen during my time as a student as I recognize the seeds that she had planted many years ago continue to bloom today.

The lessons from the classroom became the foundation to the way I understand how systems and communities work and understanding the intersectionality of identity helped me to make sense of my own experiences. I currently work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at a university focusing on the mental health needs of students with underrepresented identities and working with my team to provide services by way of community healing. 致在校学生和未来的学生, I encourage you to find your community of connections or people where you can find rest, 复兴, and joy while you navigate this phase in life that can bring various challenges and responsibilities.

I think back to my time as an undergraduate and feel gratitude that I found community with other students and with professors, an experience that greatly contributed to and helped me succeed as a scholar and a professional. 

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