Rogers State University Department of Psychology and Sociology student Carrigan Veach has been named the student winner of the Oklahoma Sociological Association’s recent essay contest.
Veach, a native of Locust Grove, is studying community counseling with a minor in sociology at RSU and learned of the OSA and its annual essay contest through one of her instructors.
“I got involved in the association through one of my professors – Christi Mackey – who was last year’s OSA president,” Veach said. “This year’s organizational essay contest used the concept created by sociologist Ann Swindler of unsettled and settled time periods to look into socio-cultural changes and shifts.
“I utilized that (concept) to look at the COVID-19 pandemic through an unsettled time lens to identify several ways that the pandemic has shifted our society – some ways, for better, some for worse, some just neutral,” she said. “One example of this is that there has been an increased polarity between our political groups. We’ve seen a lot of influencers or politicians, or advocates speak out against certain issues related to the vaccines, masks, etc., so in many ways, the pandemic has put up an even bigger wall between the political parties.”
This year marks Veach’s second year to be recognized in the OSA’s essay contest as she won second place last year, just behind the first-place winner, Zach Dyer, also a student at Rogers State University.
“It was certainly an honor for my essay to have been selected,” she added.
Veach is slated to graduate from RSU in spring 2023, after which, she plans to work on her master’s degree in social work at the University of Oklahoma – Tulsa.
The Oklahoma Sociological Association connects faculty, professionals and students in the state’s sociological community, driven by the ideas of support, empowerment and progress.
For more information about the OSA, visit www.oksociologicalassociation.com.
Students studying psychology and sociology at RSU have the option to pursue a bachelor’s degree in community counseling, with specializations in addictions, aging/gerontology, child/adolescence, marriage and family studies, and general community counseling, or social science, which allows students to specialize in psychology, sociology or environmental studies. RSU also offers a Master of Science in community counseling, which prepares students to sit for the National Counselor Exam (NCE) and the Oklahoma Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Exam (OLERE) required by the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health for application as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) candidate.
For more information about the university’s Department of Psychology and Sociology, visit www.rsu.edu/ps