Meet Darnell Jennings, c/o 2015

What is your current job?

I am currently employed at a local short-term psychiatric facility as a behavioral health associate. I am responsible for ensuring the safety of all of our patients, conducting individual as well as group therapy sessions, charting each patient’s recovery progress and assisting patients as they complete their personally prescribed care plan.

How do you use your background in sociology?

My sociological background is used quite often in my line of work. It is essential to remain neutral and non-judgmental while interacting with patients as well as the general public. My studies here at Wayne State University have taught me to look deeper than the surface issues and consider all motivational factors when analyzing the actions of society and its members. The wide array of teachings have also enlightened me on some of the key differences between sociological demographics and how they tend to impact an individual’s understanding of the world. These critical thinking skills are not only valuable to me academically and professionally, but they are also very beneficial in general everyday interactions as well.

What sociology course and/or professor inspired you the most?

Each course that I have taken within our sociology department has taught me very valuable skills, creating quite a challenge to pick one favorite. However, I encourage everyone to take a look into our urban studies course (SOC 2500) which gives a broad understanding of the evolution of societies, economics, and urban development.

Our corrections course (SOC 3840) offers a tremendous breadth of knowledge on the history and complicated issues associated with our criminal justice system. Understanding Human Society (SOC 2000) covers a very broad, yet extremely important understanding of global societies, perplexing issues and interdependences of the world.

We have very knowledgeable instructors that go beyond the call of duty and do a wonderful job of making each class relative to everyday life and current topics. Dr. Zachary Brewster, Dr. James Geistman, Dr. Claudette Smith, and Professor Jeff Horner are all very amazing instructors, and they have managed to motivate me to pursue graduate studies within the discipline of sociology.

For fun: when you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up, and what are your current goals?

When I was a child I had aspirations of becoming either a police officer, attorney or politician. I also had dreams of becoming a race car driver like most young people. What I soon realized was that I have always been internally motivated to help people and that I enjoy fast-paced environments. What I later realized was that the speed at which we traveled to reach our destination is not always as important as the journey that accompanies our objective and that sociology could provide me with an opportunity to enjoy a mixture of all of my goals.

Among my current goals is the continuation of my collegiate studies and professional advancement in the field of sociology, and I still look forward to driving that race car one day.