ShareThisGet to know your University classmates.
Jacob Cates enjoys regularly exploring the University’s nature trails. Photo by Sarah Baker.
Name: Jacob Cates
Age: 21
Hometown: Winfield, Texas
Major: Sociology
Class: Senior
Why did you choose UT Tyler?
I moved here to go to school and get my degree, move to a bigger city, and make a little money while I’m at it. I’m still working on the last part.
What are your plans after graduation?
Don’t know really, maybe take a teaching job in Austin, maybe just travel around a while, and maybe work with social programs. Depends on who is hiring.
What/ who prompted you to choose your major?
Professor Doddy at Northeast Texas Community College. He was my intro to sociology professor. When I left his class for the last time one year later, I decided I wanted to be exactly that, a sociology professor. Been working towards it ever since.
What class outside your major would you like to take and why?
To be honest, I wanted to go into international relations, specifically with Japan. But the job market for that is a bit narrow, and there wasn’t a program for it. Conveniently, I hear one will be here in a few semesters.
What kind of student are you?
A tired one. Two jobs, four to six classes a semester, and all this for five years? Yeah, I just want a vacation. Other than that, I suppose I’m an enigmatic one. I love learning, but hate education.
What is your favorite pasttime?
Yoga is about the only thing I have time for nowadays. It is great because I love it and even teach on occasion. Other than that, I love nature and the forest, hiking, camping, etc.
Who was the person who most influenced you and how?
Laren Stover. She wrote the “Bohemian Manifesto.” With that book and some of the conversations we had, she really let me know it was ok to “live on the edge.”
Where do you see yourself professionally in 10 years?
Coincidentally, still in school, but hopefully as a professor! I’d really like to work up north. It’s a tie between Portland and Denver. Other than that, maybe traveling and definitely Japan and back to Ireland.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who leave trash in the forests, which I see as a supreme act of selfishness.
What is the one thing no one would guess about you?
Many don’t know I teach yoga, but most don’t know I repair old typewriters as a hobby.
