Hello and happy spring!

Hey there!!

I’m Katie, a sophomore here at Vassar College.  I am from Louisville, Kentucky, where I have lived for my whole life.  To be specific, I grew up in a very small town outside of Louisville called Anchorage.  Anchorage is technically a village because of its small size (fun fact), as well as a Tree City U.S.A.  It has a population of about 2,000, and will definitely always be one of my favorite places on earth. Kentucky, as you may have heard, is known for its thoroughbreds, Kentucky Derby, basketball and bluegrass.  I am probably the most enthusiastic Kentucky fan at Vassar – possibly in the state of New York – so at least I’ve got that going for me!

I have always been super busy and involved in lots of things.  Growing up, I rode horses competitively for nine years.  Let me tell you, I was hardcore about horses.  I rode and took care of my horses for about three hours, six days a week, and didn’t think about much else.  I still love horses, and hope to have some to take care of when I “grow up.”  I also played field hockey and lacrosse in high school.  Some of my favorite memories of my pre-college life involved being a part of these teams, and all the bonding and love that went along with those experiences.  My biggest passion, though, was and remains ‘the outdoors.’  I LOVE anything outside – backpacking, kayaking, climbing, rafting, frolicking, stargazing, you name it!  Even as a tiny girl I was constantly outside, making forts or rolling around in mud (no exaggeration).  I was lucky enough to go on several incredible trips before I came to Vassar, including extended backpacking trips in Alaska and Washington.  These totally changed my life, and made me want to pursue, and help others pursue, outdoor adventures.  Since then, I’ve started building my own Greenland skin and frame kayaks, and am always looking forward to my next excursion.

Anyway, I will say a little bit about what I do now at Vassar!  In the fall, I declared as an English and Earth Science double major (woo)!  I know what you’re thinking…rocks and books?!  Mountains and poetry?! But yes, I am passionate about both these fields, and am really happy with my double major so far.  Even if it does mean lots of labs and reading…and writing.  Outside of academics, I do lots of fun stuff on campus. I’m the Co-president of our Outing Club, which has been a big responsibility but very fulfilling and exciting.  I’m also a tour guide for my work-study job, and am proud to say that I am, against all odds, great at walking backwards.

Now that you know a little bit about me, let me just say that I’m really excited to start doing these posts.  There is so much information out there about the colleges you are applying to, including Vassar.  The challenge is definitely knowing where to turn for the nitty-gritty, the non-fluff.  I remember my application process, and not knowing what website, or review, or rating, or handbook to trust.  All that talk can become overwhelming!  It’s my goal to provide an honest representation of my personal Vassar experience.  Even though there’s no typical Vassar journey, I hope that my perspective will give you some idea of what really goes on in college, and at Vassar!  In some small way, that might help you decide that Vassar is (or isn’t!) a good fit.

But in the meantime…it’s March! Happy almost spring (almost summer?!?), y’all!