Amanda Caplan , '06

While studying Sociology as a Junior at Harvard, I embarked upon a research project at a local charter school and discovered an intense interest in education! As a result of this discovery, I traveled to Denmark during my Senior fall to pursue a program at the University of Copenhagen in Child Development. Now, a year later, I live in New Haven, CT where I am a student in the year-long Harris Fellowship in Child Development and Early Childhood Education at Yale. My time here is divided between the Yale Child Study Center and the Calvin Hill Day Care Center. I work both in a clinical setting—with a team of psychologists, pediatricians, and social workers conducting developmental assessments—and in the classroom with a team of five teachers working with twenty-six fantastic and energetic four year-olds!

Studying sociology at Harvard enabled me to pursue academic coursework that was broad in scope and yet focused in purpose. Through this concentration, I was able to indulge my curiosity in diverse fields, ranging from medicine to immigration, all the while honing skills in observation and analysis. Ultimately, the freedom to explore the world through a sociological lens led me to discover a field about which I am extremely passionate!