As my passion for sociology developed throughout my time as an undergrad at BYU, so did the idea of pursuing graduate school. The incredible mentorship from professors in the sociology department was life-changing, and their encouragement made me a better student with more ambitious career and life goals. That environment is largely the reason I chose to pursue a master’s here at BYU. I am interested in studying the social effects of language, particularly how heritage language use affects closeness between parents and children in US immigrant families. I am also interested broadly in race and ethnicity, gender, and mixed methods research. After completing my master’s I hope to either pursue a PhD or work as a researcher and continue studying the sociology of language globally.
Catalina Valdez
Current Graduate Student