Madelyn Boyd

Major: 

Sociology, Women's and Gender Studies

Hometown: 

Santa Rosa, CA

What are your campus involvements? 

Associated Students Senator of Student Success, Sociology Research Assistant, Alpha Lambda Delta member, Women’s and Gender Studies Club member, Student Fee Advisory Committee, Revival Writer, SSU Campus Planning and University Space Committee, SSU Disability Services for Students Advisory Committee, Social Science Undergraduate Research Initiative (SSURI)

What is your favorite memory or experience at SSU? 

When I lived in the dorms, I loved baking and cooking with friends and my roommates. I should preface that I am a terrible cook, so it would usually end up in a hot mess, but they were fun memories. I feel like those kinds of memories are ones that feel directly out of a movie or comedy show. I also have fond memories of times by the pond having picnics with friends or just by myself, where I came up with genius new ideas.

What has been the most challenging part of your college experience and what did you learn from it? 

While I have always considered myself a feminist, I did not understand the implications it meant until I began my major studies at SSU. There is a stigma in the majors I am in now that they are “soft” sciences and do not lead to “important” careers. I directly challenge this notion, because I have learned that learning more about myself and the society we live in is the first step in making the systemic change our world needs. The most challenging courses I have taken have pushed me to grow and think of things differently. I have taken two research methods courses, both of which have been challenging for different reasons. In my Sociology Research Methods course, I completed a paper titled “The Privilege in Presentation” which focused on gender expression's influence on cultural capital for Sonoma State students. I found passion in every aspect of this paper and was introduced to my love of gender research, which led me to double major in Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) and Sociology. I have learned how to apply theory to practice and take that with me in any research project I complete. Currently, I am in a WGS Feminist Research Methodology course that has taught me to understand the role I play within my research. This has been continually hard for me to wrap my head around, but has made me a stronger researcher when analyzing those around me.

What brought you to SSU, and what motivates you to stay? 

I grew up in Sonoma County and I appreciate all it has to offer in terms of nature and activities. I felt like the campus reflects the feeling of Sonoma County, somewhere I have always considered home. My first visit to the ponds, I fell in love and knew I was in the right spot. The connections I have made and mentors I have found are what have made me want to stay. My professors want to see me succeed and are willing to help me on my journey. I have grown passionate about the topics they taught and the way they discussed them. They are the ones who believed in me before I did, and said I should go for a Ph.D. – something I never considered before. I love learning and growing, and at SSU, I feel like I do this best.

Who at SSU has influenced you and/or made an impact on your journey here? 

Melissa Radlinsky was my peer mentor, then my coworker, and is now a close friend of mine. Since she was my peer mentor, she was one of the first people I connected with in my first year, and we have both grown so much together. As she is more extroverted than me, she gets me out of my shell and is such a positive spirit. I greatly appreciate all the support she has given me as a friend throughout my college experience.

Professor James Joseph Dean was my Sociology Theory professor. Through this course and answering my bazillion questions, he has given so many facets of knowledge. Every conversation I have with him ends in new inspiration to think of things differently and read something new, which sends me down a new rabbit hole.