March 9, 2023
Attending Shawnee State University for her education was an obvious choice for alumna Kristin Moyler. Graduating in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Social Work, Moyler was interested in the field because of a fascination she had with the development, structure, and functioning of human society. Pairing her academic experiences with her student life experiences, she found the perfect fit for her to start the path towards her career.
“I love how Shawnee tries to involve all students in different activities and clubs,” she said, also enjoying the opportunities to complete volunteer work throughout the city of Portsmouth as a student.
When finalizing her decision to choose Sociology for her major, Moyler relied on the experiences and advice from professors in the Social Sciences department to guide her.
“I was interested in the classes offered for Sociology and had heard wonderful things about the professors,” she said. “I met with my academic advisor with questions regarding where to look, and after discussing different options of where I wanted my career to take me, this is where I felt best to pursue.”
After graduation, Moyler began her professional career as a Patient Advocate for Atlas Health. Enjoying her work, she felt she had found the place for her to grow within her career over many years.
“My career path was to find something where I could be a part of the solution with helping people in some sort of fashion,” she said. “I've seen so much growth in our company in the last three years, but more than that, I continue to see the impact we are having in these patients’ lives on a daily basis which is what it is all about.”
A year into her career with her company, she took on a Team Lead position before then being promoted to the Manager of Patient Advocacy.
“At the end of the day, I have a career that I not only love, but that is truly making a difference,” she said.
Preparing for her career, Moyler found herself gaining confidence in her field by focusing on understanding the aspects of social life, social changes, and the consequences of human behavior. She found herself learning a lot from taking the time to meet with her professors on a regular basis.
“I learned so much outside of the classroom that has stayed with me and will stay with me for a lifetime,” she said. “Engage with your fellow students. I also learned so much from them and loved seeing their different perspectives when assignments were given.”
SSU’s Sociology program provides graduates with the scientific tools and perspective necessary to better understand social issues and complex societal problems. Students develop not only the skills to work as sociologists, but also marketable skills. Many graduates continue their education and pursue graduate-level studies in sociology, law, education, public administration, counseling, and social work.
“Find out what your purpose is and go after it,” Moyler said to others considering Sociology for a career. “We really can make a difference and even though to some that difference may seem small, to others, it is huge.”
To learn more about Sociology at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/sociology.