How did you decide to pursue a degree in SA? What interested you most about it?
I decided I wanted to major in sociology after I took an introductory sociology class in first year. I became fascinated with how it could help me to understand the complex social, cultural, and political relationships and happenings within the world around me. I realized that I truly enjoyed learning and writing about social phenomena and integrating other disciplines into my learning.

What was your favourite SA course? Why?
My favourite SA course was SA 358: The Philosophy of the Social Sciences. This course delved into the nature of scientific explanation and how the social sciences are used in theory. I loved this course because I personally love more abstract or theory-based courses, and this one was quite philosophical and very fascinating! I also loved the readings that the instructor assigned because they were very engaging, as opposed to being dry and hard-to-read (like a lot of philosophical and theoretical readings). Although it was challenging, I would recommend this course to anyone who loves abstract thinking and theoretical learning about social scientific inquiry!

What’s something you’re proud of accomplishing during your time at SFU?
I am proud of accomplishing my certificate in Social Justice. Because I transferred from another institution with an associate degree in science and had almost no arts courses completed, I had to put in a lot of work to catch up on courses after switching to an arts major. I did not think I would be able to complete any additional credentials since I was behind in coursework, but I was able to complete my degree in four years and also a certificate! I am proud of myself for putting in the extra hours and dedicating myself to my studies to reach my goals.

What are your plans post graduation?
My plan for the future is to go to law school, as I am very passionate about social justice and legal studies. Post-grad, I am currently on the hunt for a job that ideally combines my sociology background and my interest in the legal profession. In this way, I am hoping to gain some experience in my field before applying to law school, and also to financially support my future studies.

What advice would you give to current or future students?
My advice for current or future students is to find something that you are truly passionate about and to lean into it. I think the most challenging part of post-secondary education is making the big decision of what you are going to major in or what field you are going to go into. The way I discovered my passion for sociology was by trying a bunch of different types of classes in my first year and seeing what I liked and didn’t like. And I realized I really liked sociology! I would say don’t put too much pressure on yourself to pick the perfect path. Just try to find something that inspires you and see where it takes you.