Senior Speaker: Sociology

A message from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences:

Each year, our graduating students in every major select a student to speak on behalf of their area of study. Because we are a large college, the time allotted to our ceremony does not allow for each speaker to appear on stage. However, these speeches have been recorded for your viewing pleasure. 

At its core, our College supports open and free inquiry and debate about the most weighty and consequential subjects that face us all. Each student was given a minute to speak on whatever topic they think will be meaningful to their peers. Some of the contributions are lighthearted, others are serious, and some may inspire some people and conflict with the values and beliefs of others. But that is the nature of free inquiry and debate: it should challenge us and make us think. We are proud of every one of our graduates, whether or not we agree with the views they express here. 

Transcript: 

During my senior year of high school, I took my first sociology class, not knowing what to expect. However immediately, I was drawn in. I realized that sociology wasn’t just a subject at school I was being told to study, it was a window through which I had been viewing the world my entire life without even realizing. Growing up in the foster care system, I saw firsthand how social structures shape lives, how opportunity is distributed unfairly, and how advocacy can make the difference between being heard and being overlooked.

Excited to continue on a track with this passion, I went home and told my family about my interest in sociology with complete hope. Except I was met with the opposite reaction than I had expected, discouragement. I was told there were no jobs, no financial stability, no future in sociology. So, afraid of making the “wrong” choice, I initially declared a major in biology on a pre-dental track at UMass. But my heart wasn’t in it. I felt lost, disconnected from my true inspirations. Searching for a medium, I switched my major to philosophy and enrolled in the Problems in Social Thought course, a class deeply rooted in sociological theory. The moment I engaged with the material, I knew: sociology was where I belonged. The doubts I had carried with me for a year of my college experience quickly escaped my head, replaced by an overwhelming feeling of relief, this was my purpose.

Sociology has given me access to understand not only my own experiences but the wider social forces that shape the lives of countless others. It has given me the knowledge to challenge injustice, language to advocate, and the confidence to stand up for those who have been silenced.

I know that the young girl that spent most of her time bouncing around —the one who never had the advocate she needed, is looking up at me now with pride for the impact I will make.

Sociology is more than a major. It is a route to advocacy. And as I stand here today, I am honored to answer that call. But this journey is not mine alone. Each of us have been shaped by sociology, by its power to question, to challenge, and to change. As we step forward in the next chapter of our lives, we carry with us not just a diploma, but a way of making a difference. Whether we use our sociological knowledge to advocate for justice, build stronger communities, or simply approach the world with greater empathy, we are equipped with something invaluable – the ability to see beyond the surface and be the voices that demand change. 

So today, as we celebrate this incredible milestone, let us not only honor how far we have come, but also the impact we are yet to make. 

Congratulation to the class of 2025, the world is waiting for us.