She loves the color green, vanilla ice cream topped with peanut butter, and all things Kanye. She was even voted most likely to join the Peace Corps in high school. She is Kate Wyant.
Kate Wyant is definitely a Santa Clara student to be proud of. She is native to the western Chicago suburb Glen Ellen, Illinois. Although she is currently undeclared, Kate hopes her classes, geared towards her interests and environmental studies, will help guide her to choose a major.
Hiking is one of Kate’s many interests. Her dad’s love for road trips instilled in her a desire to travel and experience the world, as well as gave her a love for the outdoors. “Growing up, my dad was really into road trips. We road tripped to a lot of national parks and all over the country. I’ve been to almost all of the states. It kind of lit a fire for hiking,” said Kate. She has hiked all around the world, including places like Yosemite and Peru.
Her love for hiking fostered a will to travel and experience other cultures. “I got the opportunity to spend some time in Spain, Italy, and Germany. It was really cool to explore the different cultures, especially the food. It made me really want to explore other countries, too,” Kate added.
Kate has also had the opportunity to volunteer and experience other cultures while traveling to Rwanda and Haiti. “I ended up having the opportunity to go to Rwanda and Haiti. I didn’t have the luxuries that a vacation would give me, but these countries allowed me to fall in love with a place where I felt uncomfortable. But you can experience a culture different from your own, where people don’t speak the same language as you, or anything near the same as you, and you can still be so content in a completely unique place,” she said.
Kate’s experiences in Rwanda and Haiti helped shaped her hopes for the future. She hopes to continue her volunteer work as a Bronco. “I would love to be a part of the Violence Prevention Program, SCAAP, and Global Fellows. While I don’t know exactly what my life will look like, I know that I want to get involved with service on campus. I also want to double major and work with people who have had completely different experiences than I’ve had, learn from my peers and professors, and become a more equipped leader, advocate, and student,” said Kate.
We can always look to Kate and her worldly knowledge for words of wisdom. She left us with this little piece of advice, “While I love service and think it’s important to dedicate your time to something that’s important to you, it’s also important to cut yourself some slack. Let yourself mess up. Allow yourself to have days that don’t go well. Give yourself the freedom to suck.”