Sonoma State University

Sean Malone

Graduated: 2008 with majors in American Multicultural Studies and History

  1. What did you do after graduation? Have you furthered your education? Did you start a career?

After graduating from Sonoma State University I attended the graduate program in American Studies at the University of Kansas and received a master’s degree. I got a position at UC Santa Cruz after graduate school and have been working there ever since. I am the Advising Programs Coordinator at UCSC, where I supervise a team of peer mentors and advisors. I am married to my partner Andrea, also a SSU grad, and we have two children.

  1. How did your AMCS major change you or benefit you?

I use my AMCS degree every day when interacting with students and faculty. It gave me a baseline of how to understand diversity and has instilled in me the values of inclusion that I try to bring to my job in higher education. I want to help ensure that UCSC not only has a representative student body that reflects the diversity of the state but also is a place where students can find mentors whom they can relate to meaningfully.

  1. What advice do you have for current or future students?

Become engaged and find community at the university, but be willing to take risks and go outside your comfort zone in order to do that.