Samantha Bermudez

I graduated in 2021 from NEIU with a double major in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies. My path was not typical, I began at community college in my mid-twenties, and it took me until the start of my forties to actually finish my degree at NEIU. One thing that remained throughout though, was my absolute love and obsession with sociology! From the first class I took, I knew this was the subject for me! I didn't know what I wanted to do in my future, but I knew that the knowledge and way of viewing and analyzing the world that I was learning through sociology, would help me in any career I chose. Studying sociology is like peeking behind the curtain and being shown the inner workings of our culture and societies. It provides you with a lens to recognize injustice and critique the status quo.

Since my time at NEIU I briefly managed an interior design office and did project management. I have since transitioned into a role at Resilience Chicago, working with survivors of sexual assault as a Legal and Medical Advocate. My study of intersectionality and critiques by marginalized voices helps me to recognize flaws in the systems that I help my survivors navigate on a daily basis. It helps me to stand by survivors on their path to healing and support them as they identify what justice might look like for them.