Sociology graduates take their skills into the working world

Bryant’s first class of sociology graduates are working in education, corporate America, and the nonprofit sector.

Throughout her time at Bryant, Micaela Maynard ’08 had the opportunity to learn firsthand about different issues affecting society – through courses in sociology and service learning.

After studying the prison system in one course, she and a fellow student decided there was a lack of information for friends and family members of inmates. Understanding that continued connection with family members during incarceration is key to reducing recidivism, Maynard helped create a guide for the Adult Corrections Institute in Rhode Island. More than 10,000 manuals were printed in English and Spanish and distributed to families of inmates.

Micaela Maynard ’08

After graduating in May as part of the first group of students to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Maynard took her skills to DePaul University in Chicago, IL. There, she is an Americorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) in the University’s Steans Center for community-based service learning and community service studies. Maynard uses her skills to facilitate service learning and civic engagement opportunities for students at community agencies.

“Working in Chicago, I’ve found a wealth of organizations that focus on societal problems,” she says. “My background in sociology has provided me with a better understanding of the causes and issues surrounding these problems and the organizations that are working to help end them.”

Finding your passion

After graduation, Joe D’Ambrose ’08 continued developing Normal Kings, Inc., a Web site design company he founded with a friend in 2004.

“As an entrepreneur managing a growing business, I believe my education in sociology helped me become a broad thinker and adapt myself and my mindset to overcome challenges and see the whole picture,” says D’Ambrose.

(Photo on the left) Joe D’Ambrose ’08 and (photo on the right) David Greco III ’08.

David Greco III ’08 is a community living manager for Target Community and Educational Services, a developmental disabilities agency in Rockville, MD. He is also pursuing a master’s degree in human services with a concentration in special education at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD.

Greco attributes his interest in human services to the passion and enthusiasm of his favorite professor, Judy McDonnell, associate professor of history and social sciences.

“After two weeks in Professor McDonnell’s Sociology of Gender Health and Illness course, I knew sociology was the major I wanted and working with people was the field for me,” says Greco.

Randy Trickett ’08

Randy Trickett ’08, one 91 members of the Class of 2008 who minored in either sociology or sociology and service learning, began work as the director of student activities at the Lexington Prep School, a boarding school for international students in Lexington, MA.

One of his favorite parts of the program was the capstone course, in which Trickett had the chance to work with Associate Professor of History and Social Sciences Sandra Enos and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. He helped to organize “Interrupted Life: A Conversation About the Children of Incarcerated Parents,” a conference that took place at Bryant in April.

“My sociology classes aided in my understanding of people around me,” he says. “They gave me a closer look at what other people experience in their lives.”

Integration of business and the liberal arts

Caitlin Ryan ’08 says faculty like Michael Fraleigh, assistant professor of history and social sciences, helped her find her passion.

“He gave me the freedom to learn in a way that stimulated me individually,” she says.

Her training in sociology is proving beneficial in her role as the recruiting assistant at Cambridge Associates, an investment consulting firm in Boston, MA.

Caitlin Ryan ’08

“I am more likely to ‘think out of the box’ and be more creative when searching for a solution that might not be obvious,” she says. “I also feel that studying various inequalities that society faces has given me a sense of empathy for people and better character assessment skills when meeting new people.”

Ryan says a degree in sociology is a great example of the balanced education all Bryant students gain in business and the liberal arts.

“I majored in something that truly interests me and is applicable to my job, and I have a business background, which allows me to feel very comfortable in a corporate setting,” she says.

Bryant’s sociology students join distinguished honor society

In April, Bryant’s sociology program was approved for a campus chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), an international sociology honor society with nearly 500 chapters worldwide. Twenty-eight members of the Class of 2008 were inducted into AKD after they earned an overall GPA and sociology GPA of at least 3.0, graduated in the top 15 percent of their class, and completed at least 12 credits in sociology.

Currently at Bryant, there are 28 students majoring in sociology and 65 who are minoring.

To learn more, read about Bryant's degree program in sociology.