I am Rebecca (Becca) Hayes and am currently a sophomore Sociology major with a Criminal Justice minor. When I enrolled in Quinnipiac my freshman year I was unsure of what I wanted to major in. I was an interdisciplinary studies major, but knew it was not where my heart lay. After taking a sociology class with Dr. Solomon in the spring of my freshman year, I knew sociology was what I wanted to major in. I loved learning how to understand the world through a sociological lens and realized how much I enjoy researching the world we live in. I decided to declare a minor in Criminal Justice after taking a restorative justice class that piqued my interest in untraditional ways to approach punishment. As I move through my undergraduate career and make my way to the future, I hope to use what I have learned in my Sociology major and Criminal Justice minor to become a Child Life Specialist. I have always enjoyed working with kids and after researching how chronic illness affects children in my Sociology of Childhood class, I realized I want to help kids socio-emotionally when they are being affected by illness.
As I finish my sophomore year and prepare to begin my junior (and final year) at Quinnipiac, I am excited to look into starting an independent study and internship. In my independent study, I hope to work with Doctor Solomon to create educational activities for sociology classes that focus on social class and social inequalities that happen in everyday life. My goal is that these activities can be used by students for years to come to assist them in learning about social class, inequalities, and social institutions. As for my internship, I hope to work with an organization that focuses on helping children being affected by illness and other life events. Some that interest me are the Ronald McDonald House, Adam’s House, Youth Continuum, and the Yale Child Study Center School.
Throughout my past two years at Quinnipiac, I have also had the opportunity to participate in activities outside of my major. I am a part of the Honors Program which is a program that has helped me learn how to think intellectually. I have also enjoyed going to events hosted by the Sociology Club, they provide fun ways to get our community thinking sociologically. Lastly, I have danced on the Kickline Dance team and performed with the team at Quinnipiac basketball games, sorority events, and at QTHON.
My time at Quinnipiac as a Sociology major and Criminal Justice minor has been influential in providing me with the educational and professional skills needed for my future. For any student considering becoming a sociology major at Quinnipiac…DO IT! I truly could not imagine myself in any other major and am grateful for the professors and people in this wonderful program. I have learned much and gained a community here at Quinnipiac so I hope future students can experience the same.
