KATE

12/5/24 at 4:17pm

Senior studying Psychology and Sociology

Early Grad Student in School of Social Work

What excites you every day when you wake up?

Oh my gosh. That’s a tough question. I think it’s the chance to try something new and to do better every day. I’m also excited to see and spend time with the people I love. Just being with them means so much to me——seeing their face and hearing their voice. Those in my life are an external motivator for me. Quality time is super important. And I think I’m excited to find ways I can help others, to do more, and give back. 

So, community and service are both important to you. Are there any other values you hold that are deeply important?

I think inclusion and justice are very important to me, as well. For context, I am planning on going into social work. I have learned a lot about different types of oppression, discrimination, and systematic racism that I wasn’t aware of before my education. My education has helped reinforce that I feel very strongly about creating access for everyone. It’s about more than just giving equal opportunity, because historically people start at such different places. Our system makes it nearly impossible for many people to catch up. I feel like I am still learning, and still working on becoming more knowledgeable about our world, and that is something that is important to me as well. I want to be an advocate. 

I think it is so admirable that your studies and work life help fulfill these values that are so important to you. 

Thank you. There are definitely question marks in my future, though. I’m looking at social work, but I’m also looking at teaching. Over the next four years, I don’t know if my job opportunities will change. To be honest, if the Department of Education is abolished, I don’t know what my future will look like. So, I’m definitely still unsure.

What excites me, though, is that my drive for this work is making a difference in the lives of kids. That is really exciting to me. Every time I step into a space where I can do that, it’s a good reminder of why I love it. I volunteer every week in a kindergarten classroom, and it’s always the highlight of my week. Even if I can’t bring myself to go to my classes, or do the things that feel more mandatory than volunteering, that’s the thing that keeps me going. 

That is so inspiring; I love how you find joy in your work. You alluded to this just a bit, but how would you describe your relationship with being considered an adult?

I think about this a lot. I still don’t really consider myself an adult, I just feel like I have the opportunity to do adult things. I find myself in a big in-between. I mentioned volunteering, which I feel like presents an interesting power dynamic. The students aren’t quite sure how to view me, and honestly the teachers aren’t either. It’s a bizarre imbalance. Last semester, I was walking the kindergarteners to lunch, and another teacher mistook me for a fifth grader. It was insane.

This year, some of the kids are so confused on how I am in classes too. They ask, “but, you’re a teacher?” When they see any ring on my finger, they assume I’m married and have kids. There’s no concept of age there, and that is not helpful for my own perception of my age. I continue to put myself in situations where I’m in a learning role, which I like, but it can sometimes feel like I am not yet an adult. I feel like I am learning from the adults, rather. Sometimes I speak or think about myself like I’m a kid, and adults will have to remind me that I’m an adult, too. It’s definitely something I’m grappling with, and I’m struggling to figure out where I stand. 

Yes, technically I’m an adult, but I’m still very fortunate to be dependent on my parents for a lot of things. That might be a big part of the reason I don’t feel like an adult. I think when I’m off their insurance and when I get my own place, I will feel a lot more like an adult. But for now, while I’m in school, I still love to go home and see them. I just feel like an older kid. 

It sounds like learning is incredibly important to you. Do you think you’ll continue to seek out learning opportunities once you are a full adult?

I think so. Obviously, I’m going to grad school and I am super excited to continue my education. Along with needing that degree to take my next steps in life, I am really looking forward to taking more classes. This semester, I have been valuing my education more than I ever have before. It’s been really wonderful to learn not just in the classroom, but in my experiences and practice as well. 

Knowing that I will be working with kids and families, I am positive that there will be a lot to learn through my career. It’s important, especially with trauma-informed practices, to always be listening and willing to learn. Policy will continue to shift, and seeking out new and updated information will always be central to my work. 

I love taking in new information and I do my best to make myself susceptible to learning. I hope my work embodies that. I will always be conscious of allowing what I have learned to inform my decisions, rather than make my decisions for me. Knowing that there is always more to learn is something that will keep me going everyday in this career. Especially as a person with privilege, acknowledging our need to learn is crucial to progress. I will never stop running out of things to educate myself on. 

It sounds like curiosity is another value of yours. That’s huge for me as well. Last question for you, Kate. Do you feel like there is a question to which you are still searching for the answer?

Oh, God. Who am I? Like, what is my purpose?

On a surface level, I can describe my values and the character traits I possess. But, there is still so much internal reflection I have to do. I think I’m working on it, and it’s a slow process. I think I have found what I am passionate about, which makes me feel like I’m beginning to understand my purpose, but I know there is more to it. When I was a kid, and anyone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, my answer was always to help people. That will never change. That is my simple answer, but there is definitely some digging to be done. I'm learning. And I’m trying.

I think we're all just learning and trying.

I think so, too.