A researcher emerges: ASU sociology grad finds her voice in qualitative work
“I have always been passionate about inequality, so once I saw the classes I would be taking, I knew I was in the right place,” Marissa Carreon says. She graduates from ASU this December with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Courtesy photo
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2025 graduates.
For Phoenix native Marissa Carreon, sociology wasn’t part of the plan at first. She expected to pursue political science, but a gap year after high school reshaped her thinking. A few online videos about sociology — and a long-standing interest in inequality — nudged her toward a field that offered what she really wanted: a way to understand why society functions the way it does.
“I have always been passionate about inequality, so once I saw the classes I would be taking, I knew I was in the right place,” she says.
That instinct proved right. This fall, Carreon is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a strong academic record and a reputation for being a standout undergraduate researcher. Faculty describe her as bright, creative and deeply engaged — someone who excels when she gets to ask questions.
She remembers her most impactful moments in SOC 490: Advanced Sociological Research Methods with Assistant Professor Cassandra Cotton, who later invited her to return as a research assistant on the next iteration of the course. Cotton says Carreon “came alive” when the class moved into hands-on research, and she showed the curiosity and communication skills that define a promising sociologist.
Carreon agrees that the experience changed her trajectory.
“Because of this experience, I realized that I was very interested in pursuing qualitative research as a career and that I want to become a researcher,” she says. “Overall, this was genuinely one of, if not the most, impactful class and experience I’ve had throughout my time at ASU, and it helped me figure out what I wanted to do within sociology.”
She hopes to continue down that road in graduate school, where she can build on her research interests, strengthen her methodological skills and keep stoking the curiosity that emerged in the classroom.
With graduation approaching, we caught up with Marissa to learn more about her time at ASU.
Question: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?
Answer: In my SOC 490 class, we discussed “truth” in qualitative research and how truth can be whatever a participant feels is a part of their experience and story. It is not our role as researchers or sociologists to police what is untruthful; rather, we should hear what everyone has to say, because that can be more insightful than picking apart what we deem lies.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: Put yourself out there. It can feel scary to go to that club meeting where you don’t know anyone or talk to that professor whose class you really like, but if you don’t go for it, really amazing opportunities and people can pass you by. No one will judge you for trying your best.
Q: What’s one change you’d love to see in the world — and how would you use your degree to help make it happen?
A: I would love to see marginalized people get their deserved time in the spotlight, and I want to go into qualitative research with my sociology degree so that I can highlight marginalized voices.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share that we did not cover?
A: The ASU sociology department is filled with such amazing, kind people, and I’m so glad my path didn’t go exactly the way I expected it to. If it had, I would’ve never met all the incredible people here at ASU that impacted my journey in such positive ways.
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