Meet Our Peer Advisors for
2011-2012

Why I'm majoring in Sociology: 

Apart from being a means of exploring almost every imaginable aspect of society, Sociology is an immensely flexible field.  As a student with an academic and emotional interest in animal rights (which isn’t a traditional or mainstream interest) that flexibility is very important to me.

What I like best about Sociology:

The skills obtained from all the critical analysis and writing, especially if you’re engaged in a thesis, are very valuable.

Favorite class / professor (and why):

One of my favorite classes was Education and Society (with Francisco Ramirez).  It made me reconsider the value of my own education and the complexities of the education system.

Career goal / Future plans:

I’m still exploring, but both law school and the non-profit arena are possibilities.

Other academic interests (majors, minors):Ethics in society minor

Extracurriculars:

I’m currently an intern serving on the board of directors for the Palo Alto Humane Society

Why I'm majoring in Sociology:

I am majoring in Sociology because I have always been interested in social change. As an Asian American gay rights activist, my life time goal has been to fight against racism and homophobia. As Sociology explores how the society works, it has provided me a better understanding of how to create changes in the society. Moreover, Sociology is a fun subject to study!

What I like best about Sociology:

Gaining a sociological perspective/imagination! I love how sociologists look at a social phenomenon and always try to find a reason behind why it’s happening the way it is. This aspect of Sociology has enabled me to always question the most obvious things that I see in my daily life (e.g. why male students behave differently from female students, why cafeteria tables in schools are racially divided, etc.). Sociology gave me a completely new way of looking at this world.

Favorite class / professor (and why):

My favorite class was “Race and Ethnic Identities” with Michael Rosenfeld. This was my favorite class, because it was a small class that allowed students to freely share their views on race and ethnic identities. This class made me rethink about race and ethnicity, as I learned that race and ethnicity is socially constructed.

Favorite book (and why):

I don’t have one favorite book. However, I love reading books for my sociology classes.

Career goal / Future plans:

I plan to continue studying Sociology. I love doing research and I plan to pursue a research career.

Other academic interests (majors, minors):

Minor in Modern Languages (Spanish and Chinese) and East Asian Studies.

Extracurriculars:

Co-chair of Stanford Queer and Asian

Something else you should know about me:

I love studying foreign languages and I usually study Chinese or Spanish during my spare time. I also love growing plants!

Why I'm majoring in Sociology: 

I chose to major in Sociology because I knew that I wanted to study something that could be applied across different fields and that related to some of the current issues in society that I am most passionate about, which are youth in low-income communities and the access to higher education for traditionally marginalized groups.

What I like best about Sociology:

The field of Sociology and the courses I have taken thus far at Stanford, have helped to explain many of the unanswered questions I had growing up about what caused so many inequalities among different groups in a community, and how those differences continue to sustain themselves over time.

Favorite class / professor (and why):

One of the best classes I have taken at Stanford was “The Changing American Family” (with Michael Rosenfeld). The course covered a variety of different readings, and while I did not agree with all of them, they each brought up a different perspective on current issues about marriage, divorce rates, etc. that I was not aware of before.

Favorite book (and why):

Rain of Gold by Victor Villaseñor. Growing up, I was constantly frustrated with the fact that the public libraries in my neighborhood never had any good young adult novels by Latino authors. I finally came across this book in high school and fell in love with the love story of the two main characters and their experiences in coming to the United States.

Career goal / Future plans:

I plan to obtain a Master’s in Education. After that, I would like to work for a non-profit organization that does similar work to what I do now with my sorority, helping young Latinas gain access to resources and opportunities that will develop their leadership skills and increasing the college attendance rate for them as well.

Other academic interests (majors, minors): Minor in Education

Extracurriculars:

Member of Ballet Foklórico de Stanford;

Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. (President, Academic Chair and Community Service Chair);

Volunteer for Project Motivation

Something else you should know about me:

I love to dance!