Celebrating Our Graduating Student Ambassadors

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology’s Student Ambassador Program is a team of undergraduate student volunteers who help with student activities, new student recruitment, department communications (newsletter), student involvement and student mentorship through the Student Connections program.

Each student in the department is paired with a student ambassador from the time they enroll at NC State until graduation. And after graduating, student ambassador alumni return to share virtual presentations on topics such as student success, careers, graduate school and networking.

Student ambassadors receive special recognition during graduation — an honor cord to thank them for their hard work and dedication to the department. 

We especially want to thank our three graduating student ambassadors! All three ambassadors have gone above and beyond for the department, NC State and our students. At the Spring 2022 Departmental Commencement Ceremony on May 6, all three will be recognized for their dedication and efforts.

Brianna Brooks

Hello everyone, my name is Brianna Brooks. I am a double major in political science and criminology with a double minors in Africana studies and Spanish.

These past three years at NC State have truly flown by. All of my experiences cheering on our women’s basketball team in Reynolds Coliseum; tailgating at fairgrounds before a football game; rushing to class because I had to get breakfast and coffee from PCJ; decompressing in the African American Cultural or MSA after a long day; and pulling all-nighters in D.H Hill will soon just be memories. It is such a  surreal feeling knowing that I will be graduating so soon, and entering a whole new chapter at just 20. But NC State has prepared and enhanced so many of my skills that I feel like I am thoroughly ready for my next chapter in life.

With my first two years being affected by COVID, this year has been an amazing roller coaster of experiences. From finding community and family in our Campus Community Centers to becoming a student ambassador for Sociology and Anthropology, NC State has afforded me the opportunity to explore and achieve all of my goals, while simultaneously pushing me out of my comfort zone.

During the past three years, I was also able to become a research assistant, symposium leader for Multicultural Student Affairs, volunteer with the women’s center, get involved with other organizations on campus, serve as president of NAACP, and secure a paying internship at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Following graduation, I plan on attending law or graduate school to continue to broaden my academic knowledge and portfolio. With the long-term goal of becoming a criminal lawyer, I also plan to continue my passion for helping people and advocating for minorities and underrepresented groups. As my undergraduate experience here at NC State comes to an end, I want to acknowledge and thank my support system for constantly supporting and motivating me to reach and achieve my goals. Forever a Wolfpacker, and forever grateful.

Justice Cass

I transferred to NC State for my sophomore year of college. I had a love for NC State before I ended up here and frequently wore NC State merchandise throughout middle school. Although I developed a different plan for university after I graduated high school, I was still able to find my way back, and I am so glad I did.

NC State has given me some of the best years of my life. When I transferred, I became a part of S.T.A.T.E Village, which intends to help transfer students adjust to a new university. There, I was able to get a sense of community and knew I had support while I navigated my new journey. I also met my best friends while a part of that village, and they have remained with me throughout the entirety of my experience here. I know that they’ll be my lifelong friends, so I am very grateful that S.T.A.T.E Village allotted me the opportunity to meet them. 

Later, I was given the amazing opportunity to become a student ambassador for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. I have been able to help fellow students at NC State and talk with admitted students as they make their decisions. I have also written articles for the department newsletter and was given the opportunity to network with other members in the department and be exposed to their unique work.

Our ambassador team was nominated for the 2022 Chancellor’s Creating Community Award for our efforts in equity, diversity and inclusion. It was an honor to be nominated for an award like this alongside a team of people who are so wonderfully supportive of one another. Being a part of this team has by far been my favorite experience at NC State, and I will take everything I’ve learned from this program with me after college. 

I plan on attending law school, as my career goal is to be a lawyer. In the meantime, I have been applying for jobs at law firms and will be volunteering for a Guardian Ad Litem program where I will be an advocate for children in court. I want to help represent people whose voices have gone unheard and create positive social change. NC State has provided me with the tools, experience and confidence to reach these goals. I learned the power of resilience as well as my new life motto, “think and do.” I am so thankful for the Wolfpack community, and I am proud to be a part of it! 

Carly Richardson

My name is Carly Richardson, and I am graduating this May with degrees in political science and sociology and a minor in English. The past four years at NC State have given me amazing friends, memories, opportunities and experiences that I will take with me long after graduation. It feels bittersweet to be finishing up my time here and despite my excitement to find out what comes next, I know I will miss the feel of the campus, picking out interesting classes, working out in Carmichael, and eating at Talley with my friends. 

The rugby team especially has given me some of my best friends and favorite memories while empowering me both on and off the field. I have gained a love for a sport I had never played before college, gotten to know an amazing group of people, and grown as both a player and a person. In addition to playing rugby since freshman year, I have also had the opportunity to double major, intern, start a club, register my peers to vote, organize a speaker series, work on campus, complete an independent project, and, of course, be an ambassador for my department. These experiences shaped my college career and who I am now that it’s coming to an end. Overall, I have had an amazing time here, for which I will always be grateful. 

I have been applying for research jobs in the social sciences and plan to apply for graduate school in the future. I also plan to continue playing rugby for a local team. It is both stressful and exciting to, for the first time, be without a predetermined series of next steps and to truly take the reins on what’s next for myself. Whatever that may be, I am eager to bring what I have learned while at NC State to a career with the goal of improving our collective knowledge of the social world and applying that knowledge to policies that better people’s lives.