Senior to Senior Series: Kate Woerner

As a senior this year, I have been thinking back on my time here at Chatham. My fellow seniors and I, while eager to walk across the stage, have a lot of memories to recall before it’s time to put on our cap and gown. The Senior to-Senior series is an opportunity for graduating students to speak about their time at Chatham and what it means to them.

I personally am looking forward to the traditions and time I will be spending with my friends these last few months. Kate Woerner was my RA the first year I lived on campus. She is passionate about education and including others throughout Chatham’s community. I got to speak with Kate for my first “Senior to Senior” interview and hear more about where she sees herself on and off campus.

How did you find Chatham?

I’m from Buck’s County on the Eastern side of Pennsylvania. I found Chatham through my aunt’s mom Pattie McBride Schlosser ’68 who attended herself and when we toured the campus Chatham was it. Then when COVID happened it helped me make my decision between a few other schools. My hometown of Riegelsville has a small population with a strong community, and that is another part of what drew me to Chatham.

What’s been your favorite part of student life on campus?

I love that Chatham is such a small school and it's easy to know everyone. It’s definitely why I came to Chatham, because I love the community and being able to recognize people. Safe spaces are here.

What led you to the education major?

My grandmother and mother were both teachers. I like to say that it runs in my blood. I actually came into Chatham for immersive media because I love artistic expression, but it wasn’t the right fit. Teaching has always made sense to me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be like my mom and grandma, but all the classes started to make sense and it was something I always wanted to be a part of. I like the community of education majors, because we all get to travel together. During COVID that was a really important part for me because I felt less alone, and we all traveled together to the schools. We are all from different interests and sports or clubs but all of us have each other. It’s very sweet.

What kind of experiences has the education major created for you? What have you learned?

Student teaching is split into two semesters over your senior year, and the second semester I get to teach full time and I get to run a classroom with feedback. Freshman through junior year we did observational hours at different schools. The education major requires school hours every year for different classes we are taking— public, private and charter school.

I really appreciate getting to learn about the different school types. It’s given me perspective on education in general and education disparities. It also provided insight as to how different public school teachers have it from private school teachers. It’s made me passionate about working in the public school system. I’ve recognized my ability as a teacher as someone who would work the best in a public school system, and I'm grateful for Chatham in showing me that. I also enjoyed talking a lot about race, equality, equity and how to create fair and culturally responsible classrooms.

What has been your favorite part of being an education major?

Community. I have really strong consistent friendships with other education students and with the professors. It’s a small cluster of faculty members that you have multiple times over the semesters each year. You get a few professors multiple times and because of this I have learned to communicate with adults better than before. I am recognized as an equal, and I’ve really been seen and heard and understood by those relationships which has been important for me.

Tell me about the club you started, Days for Girls?

Days for Girls works to eliminate the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation so that women and girls have improved health, education and livelihoods. Days for Girls became my sanctuary during my freshman year, offering solace and purpose, especially during the pandemic. By bringing Chatham students into Pittsburgh's DFG, I aimed to create a place where we work together to empower women in need and foster a sense of community beyond campus.

What did you learn in being a Resident Assistant at Chatham?

I think this ties a lot into the advice I would give to new students. As an RA I saw so many people anxious when they got here and everyone is coming in with different experiences, but nobody knows more than anyone and we are all in the same boat. I learned that people are all struggling with the same things, and we can lean on each other.

Most memorable senior memory so far?

Being placed at Fulton elementary school where I’m doing my student teaching. Since I was placed in a school that has a high percentage of low-income students, it has given me perspective of how education works in low-income communities. I come from a different background, and it has been eye opening for me to see the differences within the grades and how the teachers interact. I’m glad I had the chance to work in schools in the city as opposed to the suburbs that I’m used to. I also want to add that my favorite senior memory so far was definitely seeing Taylor Swift for my 22nd birthday.

What class would you recommend at Chatham that you enjoyed?

I loved ceramics where I got to make a ceramic octopus. It was a class I could go to once a week and it was a creative outlet I enjoyed. I loved that the art studio was open and accessible so I could go whenever I needed. When I was overwhelmed by classes I could go and work on whatever I wanted to work on and it was a really nice space for me.

Do you have any plans after graduation?

With my teaching degree I’m thinking of going into nannying full-time. Hopefully it allows me to travel and make life long love of learning connections. I think it opens me up to not be stuck in a district right away. With my degree I'm not limited to just being a teacher, and I can be a nanny or a billion other jobs. I always thought my degree would be definitive but there’s so much that can be taught and I know it will not limit me. There’s an emphasis on sustainability which is a nice credential, which weaves sustainable practices into teaching.

Do you have any advice you would give your first-year self? Or a tip for incoming students?

The advice I would give is if you're waiting around for someone to be friends with you, they are probably waiting for you as well. Reach out, and you will find your people. I would tell myself that COVID will end, and you’re doing a great job reaching out to people and keep trying. You will find your people at Chatham because they're here.

Spring applications for Resident Assistants are due this October 20th. You can click here to learn more about how to apply to be an RA next semester. If you or someone you know would like to be featured in the Senior to Senior series, please reach out to us at communications@chatham.edu!

Lirit Gilmore is a Creative Writing and Food Studies student. Lirit’s academic focus is centered in food writing and how it intersects with social location and identity. She is from the DMV and the Midwest, and enjoys baking in her free time. See all her work on Pulse@ChathamU here.