Micaela Creo was drawn to Wake Forest because it was her “Goldilocks school”—not too big, not too small, but just right. She appreciated the accessibility and sense of community that a small liberal arts school would provide.
“With such a small student body, there’s so many more opportunities because there are fewer people, [so] there’s more to go around,” she said. “I’ve been able to do so much research, being so close to my professors, and I feel like that’s the invaluable part of the education.”
Creo’s interest in sociology began with a high school introductory course, in which she learned about the connections between privilege and educational inequality. As a first-generation college student herself, studying this topic sparked her interest in researching social issues.
“I just wanted to figure out more about this investigative aspect of diving into the underlying causes of issues, and instead of learning more about problems, figure out why those problems occur,” she said.
Creo is graduating with a dual degree in sociology and economics. She said one of her first sociology professors, Dr. Saylor Breckenridge, was pivotal in demonstrating the connection between her majors.
“[Dr. Breckenridge] does work on the funeral home industry, and as an economics major, I was so fascinated with all the different nuances that went into it, and that it’s a combination of qualitative and quantitative research,” she said. “So I’m very happy I combined my majors that way.”
Outside of her studies, Creo is president of Advocating Reform for Correctional Clients, a student organization dedicated to supporting those affected by mass incarceration. Sociology professor Steven Gunkel serves as the teacher advisor.
“I just admire Dr. Gunkel’s passion for the topic so much, and how he is at every single executive meeting, every single general meeting, contributing to discussion, and I mean, he’s valuable too, because he’s the one doing research,” she said. “I think that that has helped me so much to pursue, outside the classroom, why sociology matters.”
Creo explained that her identity as a first-generation college student contributed to her passion for sociology throughout her undergraduate studies.
“Sometimes I felt like I was like an individual that slipped through the cracks… that it was almost like a story of survivorship,” she said. “But I think through sociology, I’ve learned the importance of nonprofit work and research that figures out the patterns that can actually open up these paths for other people.”
She continued: “I almost feel like I want to reach a hand back and start pulling people through, because it’s a tough world, and it’s not as fair or merit-based as we want to believe that it is.”
Following her graduation, Creo plans to earn her Master’s in Business Analytics from Wake Forest. She said she looks forward to exploring how she can use her passion for sociology and economics to make an impact on the world.
“My time at Wake Forest has helped me really develop my ‘why’—the values that I have about making change, helping people, being true to myself—but not exactly the ‘how,’” she said. “I’m excited to take a peek into the real world and just figure out the different mechanisms for me to actually make that change and to help… the most people I possibly can, as efficiently as I can.”
Creo said she is excited to learn what the future holds for her.
“I’m looking forward to being more involved in different communities that aren’t just a college campus,” she said. “I’m excited to meet new people and learn what there is to do… but it’s definitely scary and it feels like you’re popping the bubble of certainty that comes with the early college campus.”
