Sociology Alumni Spotlight: Sebastian Ortega

Name: Sebastian Ortega, Sociology Minor/Chicano & Latino Studies Major, graduated from CSULB in 2016

Current position: Recently admitted into Columbia’s MA program in Sociology

1. What makes you excited about your current position? Growing up in a criminalized working-class community of color with a lack of resources, higher education was never a focus in my life. To know I was pushed out by the school system for the majority of my adolescent years, but now heading to one of the top universities in the country to continue my academic endeavors is still surreal to me. However, I’m excited and ready to take full advantage of this opportunity so that I can return home and continue to use education as a means to empower and support my community and other marginalized communities. I am excited to network, conduct research, get to know a different part of the Untied States, and continue the fight for the liberation of our communities in a different environment.
2. What steps did you take to get to where you are now? Due to my upbringing I knew I wanted to do research on gangs and structural oppression. When I was at CSULB and I had the flexibility in my classes, I focused all of my research, assessments, readings, and papers so that I could further my knowledge on gangs and social control institutions. This was extremely important because not only did I have the personal experience of being involved in a gang, but now I had the academic knowledge to go with the experience. With the support and mentorship of great professors that I met along the way I was able to land a job working with youth in the juvenile “justice” system. During my time as a case manager I was privileged to learn a lot from the youth I was working with and their experiences in the system. Now from a professional’s point of view, I was was able to see first hand how structural oppression continues to be perpetuated through the juvenile system. As I begin to develop research questions, I knew I had to do something at the moment so I put together a presentation titled “Street Gangs: The Criminalization of Communitie”. My employer took notice of my work and asked me to share the information with the agency. Due to the success of the presentation I soon begin to do professional trainings for different organizations throughout San Diego County that work with youth in the juvenile system. These experiences directly tied to my research interests with my research/academic experience developed by the Chican@ Latin@ Studies (CHLS) and Sociology (Soc) deptartments is what made me into a candidate in the Master’s in Sociology program at Columbia University.
3. How did your Sociology degree prepare you for your current position? My Soc minor and CHLS major gave me the ability to critically think about gangs, instead of basing my knowledge on my personal experiences and what is put out there by social control institutions. Both Soc and CHLS not only prepared me to continue to do research on this topic but also to take that knowledge and put it back into the community. The Soc department, specifically Dr. Jake Wilson and Dr. Mike Chavez not only mentored me through my undergraduate studies and the graduate application process but also empowered me to embrace my academic identity and truly see myself as a sociologist.
4. What advice do you have for current Sociology students? I encourage current Soc students to connect with your professors as they are some of your biggest supporters! I encourage you to tailor your academic work towards your research interests or career goals so that you have in depth knowledge of the subject matter when you are applying to jobs or graduate school. I encourage you to take the opportunities presented to you by your professors or Soc department (internships, jobs, volunteer opportunities, etc.). And last but not least use your privilege as a college student, recourses, and platforms to support marginalized communities. If you are going to TAKE from these communities (research, job experience, etc.) do not forget to also GIVE!