Kate Gonzales

I grew up in Calaveras County and graduated from Columbia College in 2012 with an AA in Behavioral and Social Sciences. I took several classes with Ted and Paula at Columbia, including Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Sociology of Gender, Cultural Anthropology, and Constitutional Government. In fall 2012, I transferred to CSU Sacramento to pursue a degree in Sociology and graduated with honors in fall 2014.

My experience studying issues around poverty, gender, and institutional racism at Columbia College under Paula and Ted established a strong academic foundation that helped me succeed at Sac State. I had two essays published in Writing the University, an online undergraduate journal at Sac State (read them here). While at Sac State I also had three internships. In Fall 2013, I worked as a student intern with the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee to help organize a Homeless Speakers’ Bureau, which was intended to give a voice to homeless individuals and show the larger community the diverse “faces” of homelessness. I also interned with Capital Public Radio, the region's NPR station. At Cap Radio, I assisted with the station's documentary, Hidden Hunger, which examined the complex issues surrounding hunger in Sacramento. My internship with KVIE Public Television, the local PBS station, which began in summer 2012, turned into a permanent position. I worked as the marketing assistant nearly three years before leaving to pursue my passion in writing at the Sacramento News & Review.

In fall 2015, I began working for Sacramento News & Review, the region's weekly alternative newspaper. As a writer for the paper's custom publications department, I write advertorial pieces in a journalistic fashion, focusing largely on school districts and nonprofit organizations. I also work as a writer and editor for TUBE. Magazine, a Sacramento-based startup spotlighting arts, culture and music in the city.

My work and educational experiences have come together to instill a passion for media and social justice. I have my sights set on a career in media, and hope to continue to work on projects that promote social justice efforts. I believe media, particularly public radio, can be a powerful tool in giving people a nuanced understanding of our society and the world, and in bringing people closer. I will begin working on an independent podcast called “Your Mom” about mothers this spring (2016), and hope to make time for creative fiction writing in the near future.

Ted and Paula’s challenging courses were imperative to me becoming a better student and a more well-rounded person overall. The strides I’ve made academically, professionally and personally have been influenced and enhanced by the rigorous academic environment and supportive relationship Ted and Paula provided. Their classes enlightened me to social problems and solutions, opened the door to social advocacy, and gave me the courage to learn, grow and participate democratically.

I am a more confident and knowledgeable student, an increasingly community-oriented citizen and a happier person because of my experiences with Ted and Paula. I am just one of many students whose results suggest their guarantee is true: Do well here and you’ll do well elsewhere.

CSU Sacramento, Department of Sociology