Name: Kathy Zhao
Major: English Literature and Mathematical Biology
Year: Senior
Hometown: Newton, PA
Hey Pitt! Meet Kathy Zhao. As you can see, she’s already had celebrity encounters to prepare her to be Pitt’s Her Campus Celeb. She actually got to “meet” John Oliver at her internship at NPR this summer. As an ex-pre-med student about to graduate with degrees in Math AND English, Kathy has had a wide breadth of experiences at Pitt while working for on campus groups.
HC: So, what did you get to do at your internship this summer?
KZ: I did a lot of grunt work—reading over scripts and things like that. But the internship showed me that public radio is a place I can see myself in the future… And I saw John Oliver.
HC: You did! That’s so exciting. How?
KZ: He was walking out of the kitchen talking with someone else, and I just looked up and said “OH MY GOD,” interrupting their conversation. He barely looked and I said “It’s so nice to meet you! … J.K., because I’m not really meeting you at all!” He sort of looked and laughed but kept walking. I am so embarrassing.
HC: How cool! So now that you’re back for the year, and you’re not an RA anymore, how would you rate your RA experience your sophomore and junior years?
KZ: I would give the experience a 9/10! The most difficult thing is time management, which I struggled with. Even if you aren’t explicitly “working” a lot, it takes up your headspace—you’re always thinking about your residents. The one down the hall is sick, while another may not be adjusting, and those stay on your thoughts. But overall, it’s a great network of people to get to know.
HC: Is it isolating or difficult on a personal level?
KZ: They tell you in training that being an RA is like living in a fishbowl. You have to set a good example for those on your floor. If you’ve had a bad day, don’t show it. You can’t flip out on your floor just because you’re having personal issues because they look up to you.
Kathy picnicking with her floor last year.
HC: Now that you are no longer with Res. Life, what activities are you involved in?
KZ: I still do Honors College mentoring and am an ambassador for them as well. I have done Pitt Alternative Spring Break, which is an interesting service opportunity. I’m about to start volunteering at the Humane Society as well!
HC: When are you graduating? Are you ready?
KZ: I’m graduating this spring, and I’m wondering if you can apply to jobs six months in advance? I feel like it is time to leave Oakland, but I’m not ready to become a real person yet. So far I’ve been following the hashtag #pubjobs to check out prospects, but this also shows jobs in literal pubs.
HC: How did friends and family react to your life plan change? Medical school to working in public radio is a big change.
KZ: I was on the fence this summer about whether I wanted to stay in the public health field or not, and the NPR internship really made that decision for me. I’ve definitely gotten 50/50-reactions. Some people genuinely say “good for you” while I can tell others have to pretend to be excited for me. I think there’s a general stigma against creative work, especially when we go to such a large research university.
HC: But you’re glad you took so many different kinds of classes?
KZ: I think experimenting with your liberal arts education is important. You can make a very stringent plan for your education, but even if you do everything right, it doesn’t guarantee a job. Develop a mold for yourself here that you can fit into later.
Image credit: 1, HCPitt Campus Celeb’s Facebook