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Uriel Serrano

serrano-uriel-_sociology-race-class-gender-graduate-award_400pixels.jpgCollege affiliation: Rachel Carson

Department: Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

What Award/Scholarship did you receive?  Sociology of Race, Class, and Gender Graduate Award

When do you expect to graduate? Summer 2022

Where do you call home? South Central Los Angeles

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? To be frank, I decided to apply to the phd program in sociology because I wanted to work with Veronica Terriquez. I know nothing about Santa Cruz and the campus but was excited about working with a sociologist rooted in community engaged work. Once I was accepted, I decide to join the department because I was enthusiastic about the possibility of learning from other programs and departments like Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Education, and History. 

What is your field of focus? My current work sits at the intersection of carceral studies, children and youth studies, social movements, and the sociology of race, gender, and class. 

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? My goal is to become a tenure-track faculty member after completing my PhD this summer. In the fall of 2022, I will be joining UC Irvine as a Postdoctoral Scholar in Community Organizing and Social Computing.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? The students! I loved teaching and doing research with students. When I first arrived to UCSC, it was undergraduate students from Los Angeles, like Steven Mora, Jennifer Soto, and others (who are now doing amazing working in their communities), who welcomed me to UCSC and showed me around. Later, when I was TAing I remember introducing myself and sharing that I grew up in the “Jungles.” A student immediately threw their hand up in the air and shared that she too was from the same neighborhood. Lastly, shout out to all the Latinx custodial and dining hall workers who greeted me with a “buenos dias” or “hola mijo.” Those greetings always brought me joy!

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? Go to beach! Hike! Find a therapist! And center your well-being above all.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? I am defending my dissertation, Youth in the City of Inmates, in August of 2022. The scholarship will help me do two things: (1) celebrate and buy my regalia and (2) pay medical bills.