Graduate Profiles
MG Bertrand - Migration and Language
Since graduating, MG has taught at two elementary schools in East Oakland: Bridges Academy at Melrose and St. Elizabeth Elementary School. He is dedicated to student voice. At Bridges, he created and oversaw the student council, supporting representatives in planning school-wide initiatives and communicating with leadership. To empower 3rd-5th grade students to pursue their college goals, he designed and co-coordinated college and leadership assemblies. The presenters included Liliana Iglesias, Director of UC Berkeley’s Undocumented Students Program, and Dr. César Cruz, co-founder of Homies Empowerment. As a first grade teacher at St. Elizabeth, he has led parent-teacher conferences in Spanish and English, as well as facilitated meetings and district workshops about best practices with the help of veteran teachers. On a daily basis, MG works to create opportunities in his classroom for peer collaboration, student agency, and accelerated academic growth. Nothing can replace the relationships he has had on a first-name basis with the 440+ students at Bridges. With these experiences, he is looking forward to pursuing a Master’s degree.
Chicano Studies 159 - Mexican Immigration
Education 188 - Latinas/os and Education: Critical Issues and Perspectives
Ethnic Studies 136 - Immigrant Women
German C109 - Language & Power
Legal Studies 132AC - Immigration and Citizenship
Ethnic Studies 101A - Social Science Methods in Ethnic Studies

Thesis Children of the Vines: Language and Power in the Napa Valley’s Dual Immersion Schools
Sha Quasha Morgan - Race, Culture, and Health
Because she is passionate about being a model for success for students that come from the same background, Sha Quasha will pursue counseling for low income, first generation college students. Following summer, Sha Quasha hopes to work either as a College and Career Counselor in the Oakland Unified School District or as an Academic Advisor within the community college system.Subsequently, she plans to pursue a Masters in Social Work with an emphasis on either Child and Family Welfare or Community Mental Health. Sha Quashas ultimate goal is to provide more awareness to her community about the mental health issues that adversely affect them and necessary support.
Public Health C155: Sociology of Health and Medicine
Psychology 166AC: Cultural Psychology
Sociology 110: Organizations and Social Institutions
Sociology 131AC: Race and Ethnic Relations: U.S. American Cultures
Social Welfare 110: Social Work as a Profession

Thesis Sha Quasha Morgan : - "I Can Do Bad All by Myself: Stigma of Mental Illness, Power, Pedagogy, Black Masculinity and America's Healthcare System" (Class of 2016)
Kelly Naze - American Consumer Society
After graduating with honors and ending a lifelong swimming career, Kelly returned home to Denver, Colorado, where she will put her competitive spirit and passion for planning to work as she starts her own business as a wedding planner.
American Studies H110: Rebels and Revolutionaries
Demography C126: Social Consequences of Population Dynamics
Information C167: Virtual Communities/Social Media
Sociology 160: Sociology of Culture
Sociology 166: Society & Technology

Thesis Kelly Naze : - Amusing Some of the Million at Muse Mcanique: The Unpromising Fate of Penny-Arcade Museums in the 21st Century (Class of 2016)

Vanessa Padilla - Urban Communities and Education
The summer after graduation Vanessa immersed herself in French language and culture while living in Paris. On her return to the states, Vanessa continues to intern for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, serving constituents in San Francisco. Vanessa plans to pursue a degree in environmental law, so that she can advocate for people who face environmental crises like those she addressed in her senior thesis.
Chicano Studies 159 : Mexican Immigration
Chicano Studies 172: Chicanos and the Educational System
Education 140AC: Literacy: Individual and Societal Development
Education 190: Critical Studies in Education
Sociology 130AC: Social Inequalities: American Cultures

Thesis Vanessa Padilla : - "A Tale of Two Cities: Richmond, California and Flint, Michigan" (Class of 2016)

Daniel Acree - Gender and American Popular Culture
As a graduating Student Veteran still attached to the U.S. Army Reserves, Staff Sergeant Acree continues his personal mission to provide his comrades, as well as all others, with improved life chances by advocating for higher education. Daniel is pursuing a single-subject teaching credential with a Masters in Education at the University of California, Davis. He would like to be a lifelong thinker, joker, educator, and organizer. Daniel and his partner, Alayna Fredricks, enjoy their happy little life and home in sunny wherever-the-road-leads, California.
American Studies 101: The Short American Century: From World War II to the New Frontier, 1942-1963
American Studies H110: Rebels and Revolutionaries
Education 183: High School, The Movie
Gender and Women's Studies 100AC: Women in American Culture
Peace and Conflict Studies 127: Human Rights and Global Politics

Thesis Daniel Acree : - "Cinematic American Tough: Evolution Of Inclusion From The Cold War To The Millennial Era" (Class of 2016)
Alec Kassin - Policy, Politics, and Sport in the U.S.
Alec, the Departmental Citation recipient for 2016, graduated with Highest Honors after a longer-than-expected college career, marked by a high of spending a year studying abroad in France, and a low of taking a year off from Berkeley due to a back injury. In the summer after his graduation, he plans to work as a camp counselor for an American-style summer camp in Japan, helping Japanese youth learn English by participating in American sports. In October, he will begin work in LinkedIn’s Business Leadership Program, rotating through multiple sales units before taking on a full-time role in their Global Sales Organization. Though his long-term plans are unclear (they may consist of a return to academia to earn a Master’s in Public Policy, a run for political office, or both), Alecs ultimate goal is to have a career through which he can find fulfillment helping others. Right now, Alec is engrossed in learning about the causes, effects, and possible solutions to widening inequality in American society.
Education 290B: Education in Language, Literacy, and Culture
History 124B: The United States from World War II to the Vietnam Era
Political Science 103: Congress
Political Science 106A: American Politics: Campaign Strategy - Media
Public Policy C103: Wealth and Poverty
