Moving the Meter by Blake

Moving the Meter by Blake - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

I am currently pursuing a Sociology degree. I am very interested in why people do what they do and why different groups think the way they think because I want to use social, political, and economic patterns to improve these areas of the United States. Whether that means pursuing politics, social work, or a new career entirely to move towards equality, that’s what I’ll do.
I am passionate about pursuing Sociology because it’s so prevalent in everyday life. The book “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race” by Beverly Daniel Tatum explains sociological tendencies in different racial, ethnic, and gender groups while relating it to everyday instances. The fight for civil and human rights is an ongoing movement, no matter how obvious it may be. I am without the necessary resources and funds right now, but with this scholarship, I believe I can get my degree and move the meter even more towards equality and acceptance
The guidelines for this essay spoke about not covering any “controversial” topics, but that would omit so many different majors and, therefore, stop hundreds of students from even being given the opportunity to receive this scholarship. Majors such as Sociology, African-American/any Minority Literature or Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Political Science, International Relations, American Politics, Law, Criminal Justice, and even Economics and STEM majors. And that’s not even the half. Barring students from speaking about “controversial” topics would mean stopping students from addressing very real and current issues in today’s world, especially since the guidelines for a topic being “controversial” are not clear and can be manipulated from judge to judge.
Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Nationality, and Sexual Orientation might be considered controversial, but that’s what makes us who we are. Every individual on the planet has these demographics, and exploring that field would give me a better understanding of society and why we are going through what we’re going through in 2025. Racial groups are losing rights after spending hundreds of years trying to gain them, Women are quickly losing the right to their autonomy and the right to make their own decisions, and all of this ties back to public opinion and the power the people in power have over society.
I chose this major so I could have a voice in the present and future to speak and make changes about topics that matter.