JADE PEARCE
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2015 with a M.A. in Sociology
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Currently Employed At: An entertainment market research firm in L.A as junior
research analyst
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Areas of Interest: Social psychology, network and exchange theory, economic
sociology, demography and migration studies
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Current Projects: Presented a paper on the migration patterns of young, educated
professionals within the US and replicated research on the top five “aspirational”
cities
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Recent Presentations: 2013 California Sociological Association Conference and
2014 Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Advice
Do not take school passively. If you really want to get the most out of your education, look at your
current skills and figure out a way to build upon them. Not only will that make you more
employable, but it will only contribute to your overall growth.
LIANA BRUNSUZYAN
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Graduating: Spring 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology with a focus in social welfare
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Further Education: Intends on pursuing a Master’s degree to provide services to
immigrants and people from disadvantaged communities
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Areas of Interest: Social justice and advocacy
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Recent Conferences Attended: Home Walk 2014 event which helps to advocate
for housing and raising awareness of the plight of those who suffer from
homelessness.
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Internships: Leisure Glean Post Care Center
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Awards: Member of Alpha Gama Sigma, Alpha Kappa Sigma and Tzu Sigma
Honors Societies and on the Glendale Community College and CSUN Dean’s
Honor List
Advice
Education is power and a great tool to help you achieve your goals. This is something one
should keep in mind when they are facing obstacles during their path to a higher degree. A
degree in sociology, social work and social justice is one of the most fulfilling career paths I
could imagine. I would encourage everyone to stick with the program. I’d also just like to say
that I’m happy to be part of the CSUN community and that I’m proud to be a matador.
ALBERTO CORONA
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Graduating: Spring 2015 with a B.A in Sociology with a criminology/criminal justice
option
Further Education: Anticipating acceptance to CSUN’s M.A. in Social Work
Currently Employed At: Kaiser Permanente as a Security Specialist
Areas of Interest: Juvenile delinquency, recidivism and gang intervention
Current Projects: Empowering at-risk high school students and applying labeling theory
and self-efficacy in practice to observe the effects it has on at-risk youth in relation to
their rates of graduation through the MOSAIC program
Recent Conferences Attended: Breaking Barriers hosted by the NAACP and the LAPD
Foothill Division and Creative Expression for Health, Healing and Social Justice hosted
by the Civil Discourse & Social Change
Internships: New Directions for Youth and MOSAIC student mentor
Awards: Lori Anderson Memorial Award and EOP Academic Success Grant
Most Useful Skills: My education in sociology has enabled me to use analytical as well
as effective communication skills when I encounter social issues that require special
attention
Advice
Be open-minded as you will be exposed to many concepts that will challenge how you view
everyday life. When learning about different social theories compare and contrast them to you
personal life and see how they relate. Be sure to be actively involved in class discussions and
build your social networks with not only your colleagues but also faculty as this will make you
more valuable in your future aspirations. Most importantly, be passionate about the field as it will
help you understand, solve and critique social issues so that we can work together in practice to
enhance our quality of life.
CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE
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Graduating: Spring 2015 with a M.A. in Sociology
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Further Education: Applying to Ph.D. programs
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Currently Employed At: CSUN Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing, doing affiliated research
projects and serving as a research assistant on a grant that evaluates the efficacy of a program that
provides support to underrepresented undergraduates in STEM majors
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Areas of Interest: Sociology of education and sociology of technology
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Current Projects: A thesis which looks at how forms of intercultural capital – capital that matters to minority
groups in a majority context – influences academic outcomes for college students.
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Recent Presentations: “Examining Psychosocial and Internet Use Variables in College Persistence and
Performance among Underserved Populations at the 2014 California Sociological Association Conference,
“Predictive Models of Academic Disposition and Internet Use” presented at Our Millennial Era: Life in the
Digital Age and “The Social Origins of Motivation on Undergraduate Progress and Performance at the 2014
CSUN Student Research & Creative Works Symposium
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Publications: Carter, Michael J. and Christopher Lawrence. “Theory Structure.” In the SAGE Encyclopedia of
Theory, edited by J. Mattingly and J.G. Golson. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., forthcoming.
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Internships: Language, Speech and Hearing Center and Strength United
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Awards: The Office of Research and Graduate Studies Thesis Support grant and the Sociology Department
Continuing Graduate Student Award
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Most Useful Skills: Survey Design and data analysis
Advice
Identify with being a student majoring in sociology – that should become your primary identity.
Also, find a way to be intrinsically motivated toward your studies, i.e., like the subject for the
content, and not simply because you think a degree in the field is a ticket to a career. It may
very well be, but if you aren’t inspired at all by the subject you are learning to do yourself a favor
and switch your major – you’ll be miserable if you don’t.
JOSE TORRES
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Graduating: Spring 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology and Central American Studies
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Further Education: Recently accepted to a Ph.D. program
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Currently Employed At: The Youth Leadership Institute as a Leadership Empowerment and Academic Development Mentor and Domestic Abuse SelfHelp Clinic for the Van Nuys Court’s Neighborhood Legal Services of L.A.
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Areas of Interest: Immigration and crime, street gangs, gang exit and rehabilitation programs and the Central American community
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Current Projects: Forms of masculinity within Salvadoran-run gangs and the way violence became normalized during their childhood and how this
violence has affected their perceptions of masculinity. Also, how El Salvador has produced the “Salvadoran Gang Industry” wh ich focuses on how
more prisons are being built and funded by the local and national government when compared to schools or rehabilitation programs. Additionally,
examining Central American child migration to the U.S.
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Recent Conferences Attended: 2013 & 2014 Advancement to Graduate Education, 2014 California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education at Cal
Poly Pomona, 2014 Alelante Hombre Youth Latino Summit, 2014 California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education UCSD and the 2014
Leadership Empowerment and Academic Development Mentor at the Youth Leadership institute.
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Recent Presentations: “Masculinity in Salvadoran Ganges: The Normalization of Violence” at the 2014 American Society of Criminology conference,
“Normalization of Violence in the Salvadoran Gang Industry” at the 2015 CSUN Student Research & Creative Works Symposium and “The
Criminalization of Salvadoran Child Migrants on the Move” at the 2015 Western Society of Criminology conference.
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Publications: Torres, J.A. (Forthcoming). “Masculinity in Salvadoran Gangs: The Normalization of Violence.” La Ceiba Undergraduate Journal 2nd
Edition.
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Internships: Editor-in-Chief of La Ceiba Undergraduate Journal through the Central American Studies Program
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Awards: 2012-14 James R. Simpson Merit Scholarship, 2013 Lori Anderson Memorial Award, 2014 Kian Kwan Award for Outstanding Academic
Excellence, 2014 Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholarship, 2014 Ebell Scholarship, 2014 Shrogin Memorial Scholarship and 2 nd Place 2015Student
Research & Creative Works Symposium
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Most Useful Skills: Statistical software knowledge, methods, analysis and data collection
Advice
Conduct research on an area or topic of interest, be aware of options for graduate
programs or the job market, apply for as many scholarships and fellowships as possible, do
not limit yourself to easy opportunities, reach out to faculty that share similar interests in
graduate programs, and do not be afraid to email professors from other universities as they
are often glad to hear from students who have read their work and are interested in working
with them, take advantage of research and teaching opportunities, research graduate programs
early (over the summer) and request letters of recommendation early.