Presbyterian College sociology professor strives to grow students’ confidence inside and outside of the classroom
Dr. Carla Alphonso wasn’t always certain that sociology was her future. She entered college as a psychology major, though she eventually switched to political science before finding her way into sociology via an elective course called “Wealth, Status, and Power.”
“It hooked me,” she said. “That course made me think, ‘okay, I’ll take another sociology class next semester,’ and then I was all in, so I double majored.”
It wasn’t until she was in graduate school on a teaching assistantship that she discovered her interest in family sociology.
“The first class that I was a T.A. for was a family sociology class, and I was just kind of an assistant to her, helping to make tests and do grading. But at some point, she said, ‘I want you to do a mini lecture, and then by the end of the semester, I want you to do a full class period,’” she said. “So, I dug into that, and it just clicked, and I thought, ‘I think I want to focus on family sociology.’”
Appreciating strong community
Alphonso herself attended a small southern liberal arts college during her undergraduate years, so when it came time to think about next steps, she knew somewhere similar was in her future.
“I liked that I could go across campus and see familiar faces, and people smile and wave and say hello, instead of a large school where if you go to the library or the dining hall, you don’t know if you’re going to see anybody you know,” she said. “I always knew that was my comfort zone, and if I were going to teach, I would like to teach in that type of environment.”
For her, that place was Presbyterian College, where she has spent the past 25 years creating lasting connections with students and colleagues alike, while enjoying the opportunity to see students grow over the years.
“For me, it’s the moments with students where you see the light bulb, the ‘aha,’” she said. “It’s helping students go through the whole research process and seeing them realize that, oh, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist or a genius, we can all answer questions or do data analysis, and become comfortable with that.”
For me, it’s the moments with students where you see the light bulb, the ‘aha.’ It’s helping students go through the whole research process and seeing them realize that, oh, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist or a genius, we can all answer questions or do data analysis, and become comfortable with that.”
Dr. Carla Alphonso, Professor of Sociology
A future of growth
Alphonso has been an avid supporter of service learning initiatives since she discovered the importance of hands-on experiences for students early in her career.
“I know from my earlier teaching experiences that students love it,” she said. “They love being out of the classroom, but also being able to connect things outside of the classroom with things that are occurring inside the classroom.”
Having seen first-hand how much students gain from and enjoy participating in hands-on experiences, Alphonso’s hope for the future of Presbyterian College is the growth of a service learning program in the coming years, something that could benefit students immensely.
“I think there’s another layer of learning that happens with that experience outside of the classroom,” she said. “I’ve even had a couple of students over the years determine some career pathways based on those experiences.”
