Spring Sociology Awards

Born and raised in Colorado Springs, I have continued my education here at UCCS pursuing my undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice. I currently work as a deputy Probation Officer for the Fourth Judicial District Probation Department. I am also a part of a very exciting publication with Professor Emily Skop and fellow students on the exploration of migrant experiences. My achievements include graduating with a 3.9 GPA and completing my undergraduate degrees as a legacy graduate as my grandfather completed his degree with UCCS.

Will is a graduating senior majoring in sociology and minoring in philosophy. He is a Marxist sociologist who studies labor movements. His senior thesis is a study of local food service workers, their experiences and grievances, and the barriers and potentials for industrial actions within this industry. Will plans to attend graduate school, continuing his research around this population and adding to the labor mobilization literature. In doing so he hopes to develop useful knowledge for labor organizers within the U.S. In his spare time, Will enjoys reading fiction, writing music, and playing table-top role-playing games.

Alex Picardo was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and is graduate student within the Sociology Department at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Alex earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas A&M University and is currently an active duty servicemember in the United States Army. Following completion of his Master’s in Sociology from UCCS, Alex will serve as an instructor of Sociology at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York within in the Department of Behavior Sciences and Leadership.