Lake County Gazette

Mallory Carroll, a 2015 graduate of Lake Forest College, is applying her background in sociology and anthropology at Google. Carroll’s work focuses on making technology more equitable for underrepresented groups.

During her time at Lake Forest College, Carroll explored different majors before deciding on sociology and anthropology after taking a course in her sophomore year. “I was so fascinated and enthralled by everything we were talking about and reading,” Carroll said. “The major really opened my worldview and helped me gain a lot more perspective and empathy.”

A senior seminar in the SOAN program was especially influential for Carroll. She noted that her classmates came from diverse backgrounds, which helped her learn to think critically—an ability she says remains central to her professional life. “It was so interesting to be able to craft an argument with data, facts, and your own lived experience and then be able to discuss that with other students and get to know them,” Carroll explained.

Carroll credits her courses with giving her confidence and encouraging self-reflection about how her background shapes her interactions with others.