A Message to Fellow Graduates!

As my time at Profugo comes to an end, I can’t help but think about my future and where I’ll be headed afterwards. As a senior, I am familiar with the feeling of dread that settles in my stomach when someone asks me “What will you be doing after graduation?” My friends and I have had discussions about our futures, and the conversations always come with weird mix of dread and excitement. Although we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us, the fact that there’s so much uncertainty about it also scares us. However, although we remain unsure about what lays ahead of us, something that we can all be certain of is the long lasting effects of our sociological experience while at Bryn Mawr College. Although I often hear people saying that what you major in college doesn’t always have an impact on what you do in the future, I believe that if you’re a sociology major, or are socially aware, it is almost impossible to let go of this awareness and to not apply it to your future. This is not a bad thing, nor should it seem like a very pressuring task to be socially aware.

Sociology is an interesting topic due to how it can be applied to any social environment. Whether it’s at a local Starbucks, in the government, or in a more global context, a sociological lens always comes in handy. But what exactly is a sociological lens, and what does it include? Having such a lens means being aware of your social surroundings and understanding how any individual’s action could impact another individual or a group. Every action has an importance, even if the impact is on a micro-scale. This is because every small action, whether it’s something as simple as saying “Thank you” when someone holds a door open for you or something grander such as paying for the person’s order in line behind you, affects the bigger picture. It may seem very daunting to pay so much attention to everyone’s behaviors and to weigh everyone’s actions so heavily, but the best part about having a sociological lens is often times you don’t even realize you are putting so much emphasis on peoples’ actions and your own. This natural social awareness is why sociologists often work well within non-profits, such as Profugo.

Non-profits are often very socially aware, and they go beyond just the surface level of social issues. They also tend to have both a local and a global impact, which only adds to the level of social awareness evident within non-profits.  It’s for this reason that non-profits match up well with those who have studied sociology. While at Profugo, I’ve written a lot about breaking down borders in order to help the community of Wayanad and foster productive and genuine connections within the town. I also touched upon the importance of collective groups in the development of people, and related it back to Profugo’s motto of “Global Neighborhood For a Better Quality of Life.” All of these instances were connected to my sociological background and what I’ve learned from my four years at Bryn Mawr College. Without my understanding of sociology then, and without the support of Profugo’s already socially aware environment, I think my time at Profugo would have been less productive.

Profugo’s belief in helping the people of Wayanad gain access to education, water, healthcare, etc. are all social issues that many people are aware of, but do not talk enough about. It’s up to those who are socially aware to not only make others pay more attention to such issues, but to also show them how they can help and what they can do.  It is only then that we can work towards Profugo’s idea of a global neighborhood, and by helping each other understand social issues, we can also help those living in places that are impacted by these issues. This is what Profugo is working towards, and my sociological background has only helped me understand its importance. Sociology has therefore been an important part of my Profugo experience, and my time here has helped me realize that sociology will remain a central aspect of my future. Like many soon to be graduates out there who might be reading this, I’m uncertain about my future, but an experience like my internship at Profugo has made me realize that at least there are some things that I can remain sure of. To those out there who are still struggling to figure out what their future holds, I stress the importance of internships in helping you understand yourself and your goals. Profugo is just one such experience of mine that has helped, and I hope that I have been able to help Profugo as a sociologist.