In Their Words: Natalie Keller

Name: Natalie Keller

Department: Sociology

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? The  2017-2018 Deans’ Undergraduate Award

What year do you expect to graduate? I graduated in June of 2017.

College: Stevenson

Where do you call home? Santa Monica, CA.

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? I first came to UC Santa Cruz while my sister was attending and I immediately fell in love with the beauty of the campus. Once I received my acceptance to the university I chose it based on the
Sociology department and the close knit communities that exist within UC Santa Cruz.

What is your field of focus? Sociology and Spanish Studies with a focus in Literature and Culture.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I am currently taking a couple years off from academia and working in immigration law but I hope to earn a PhD in Sociology in the future.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? When I presented my thesis research at the Symposium for Undergraduate Research in Humanities and Social Sciences and realized how much I had accomplished through this project.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? Take advantage of every opportunity available; attend a student organization’s meeting, walk around campus until you discover a new spot, go to office hours, get involved with student activism, etc.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? This scholarship will help me apply to graduate programs so that I can pursue a PhD in Sociology.