Killian posing for a picture in her ambassador stripes.
When Catherine Killian was a senior at Montgomery High School she had big dreams for her future. She wanted to play lacrosse on a college level while attending a school with a highly recognized business program. She knew what she wanted, and would stop at nothing to achieve it.
Four years later, Killian is a senior at The College of New Jersey getting ready for graduation – but the same attitude has stuck with her throughout her college career. Her resume speaks for itself: Ambassador, colonizing sister of TCNJ’s chapter of Alpha Xi Delta, a nationally recognized sorority, and an intern at Northwestern Mutual, to name a few.
With everything she involves herself in, she is always conscious of her image. Especially when choosing a college, Killian wanted to make sure she made a reputable name for herself. “Everything I do, I know is going to be associated with the name Catherine Killian. My actions, accomplishments, mistakes, et cetera, are going to be what people remember me for,” she said.
Alas, Killian decided on TCNJ because she was going to be a goalie for the women’s lacrosse team and because she wanted to attend the top ranked business school in New Jersey. Initially, lacrosse took most of her time and energy, but her career was short lived.
“I ended up dislocating my knee in practice. I had to get x-rays and MRIs, which revealed that I had also torn my media patellofemoral ligament. Needless to say, my career was done there,” Killian said.
Even after her career ending injury, Killian tried to maintain high spirits for her college experience, but it did not come easily. Her team had internal problems, and Killian found herself in the middle. “I did not click well with the team. I realize now that I am not going to be friends with everyone, but as a freshman in college, I was not able to accept that. I felt like I didn’t do anything wrong and when I brought it up to my coach, she did not understand. After my first season had ended, I tried again to explain why I did not feel like a team member, but no matter what I said I was told that I was the problem. I quit that day and have never regretted it or looked back,” she said.
Killian was devastated and defeated. She was ready to transfer and start over. “I was so incredibly miserable with the whole lacrosse situation that I had the transfer papers to the University of Delaware. Thankfully my parents convinced me otherwise,” Killian said. She decided to stay another semester and give it one more shot, and eventually, she found her niche and decided to stay.
After she cleared the initial hurdle of TCNJ lacrosse and potentially transferring, Killian’s only concern was getting involved and making the most of her remaining time at TCNJ. “What made TCNJ worth it the next three years was the fact that I stopped caring what others would think and I got involved. I basically did not say no and just lived life to the fullest. I joined four amazing organizations; Business Peer Mentors, Alpha Xi Delta, Ambassadors and the club basketball team,” she said.
Through her involvement, Killian has made her mark on TCNJ’s campus. She served as external philanthropy chair for Alpha Xi Delta, and holds an executive position in Business Peer Mentors. Alyssa Gervasi, one of Killian’s sorority sisters, admires her involvement around campus. “Catherine is so involved at TCNJ, I literally don’t know how she does it all. She is someone with so many connections and knows so many people, literally everyone on this campus,” said Gervasi.
Killian and Gervasi at a sorority philanthropy event.
By her junior year, Killian had expanded her range of involvement and took a job with Northwestern Mutual. “I went for my first interview and pictured myself there immediately. The ambiance, employees and knowledge of the company amongst the nation drove me to accept their offer the next week,” Killian said. She has been with the company for almost a year, and they have recently offered her a full time position after graduation.
Obviously, it has not been an easy ride for Killian. On the outside, she seems to have everything – a stable job, friends, and a campus presence. But, with all this comes internal struggle. Each day, she battles with the fear of not being good enough. “I am constantly trying to improve myself so that I do not feel like a failure. Our actions connect us to all aspects of our lives and if we give our one hundred and ten percent, sure we be a little tuckered out at the end of the day, but we will be destined for success,” Killian said.
Killian has had so much success at TCNJ since her tragic lacrosse incident. But, while TCNJ has impacted her in so many ways, she has, in turn, done the same to other people. “Catherine inspires me every day to be a better version of myself. I aspire to have her passion, her voice, and her strength to go through life with her spark of positivity and fun” Gervasi said.
One of Killian’s housemates and best friends, Claudia Gargano, has known Killian since their freshman year at TCNJ. From just freshman year acquaintances that lived on the same floor, to now best friends enjoying their final months until entering adulthood, Killian has had such a strong impact on Gargano’s college experience since the beginning. “I have never met someone more dedicated to their friends or family nor felt so much love from or for a friend as with Catherine. She has so much love to give and we love her for it,” Gargano said.
With only a few months until graduation, Killian is optimistic for her future. She continues to not back down from a challenge, and knows that this life attitude will drive her future ambitions. She anticipates being married and having a family within the next decade, but as far as her career goes, she has big dreams. She said, “Right now, I am honored to be working for Northwestern Mutual. I always get excited when watching NCAA games and I see their commercials. However, in regards to my future, I have the hopes of also getting to work for Kate Spade within their marketing department. She is my favorite designer and I would love to learn the ins and outs of the successful powerhouse.”
Looking back on her four years, Killian knows she has made the most of her time at The College of New Jersey. She has made so many connections through all of her extracurricular activities that she will maintain through her future endeavors. Mainly, she has left her mark on the campus community that cannot be replicated. Even with her blunder with the lacrosse team, she would not trade her experience for the world. She said, “I truly believe that I hate saying that we have regrets in life because without my mistakes or moments of doubt, I would not be where I am today.”