Year: Senior
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Favorite Beverage: Diet Coke with A LOT of ice
Favorite Book: The Harry Potter Series and pretty much every children’s book you can imagine!
Involvement: PHC VP of Programming; SDAP (Scholars with Diverse Abilities) volunteer; Writer and Director of Events for Her Campus; Chi Omega Sister and Director of Campus Activities
Katy Huis is a senior who just can’t stop, and won’t stop giving her all to everything she is involved in. Katy is one of those people who can’t stand idle time, so she stays busy by committing her time and contributing to her community; “I only have four years in college and I want to make the most of them by getting as involved as possible.”
Personally speaking, Katy is one of those people who not only set out to get as involved as she can, but also helps others get involved. She helped me get involved with SDAP for a project, and I ended up loving the experience, and still make an effort to chat with the individuals I met through the program. Katy has always been there for me through rough patches, and knows just the way to cheer me up, like buying me an elephant key chain after a bad week.
Of all the schools in North Carolina, Katy came to Appalachian. “At first I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go to App, even in the beginning of my freshman year I still had doubts.” It was after joining Chi Omega and getting involved in different areas of campus that she realized Appalachian was her home.
Just like many collegiettes, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. She tested out a lot of different majors, and by the end of her freshman year, Katy says that she found her perfect home in the College of Education. For what Katy wants to do, she said that couldn’t be at a better school, and that her experience within the education program and the special education program has prepared her better for her future classroom better than any other school could.
Everyone has a story behind what they want to do and why. Here’s Katy’s. “I’ve always been passionate about working with children, specifically with teaching reading and children with diverse abilities. I think that watching kids sound out letters to make words is one of the most magical things on earth.”
With Harry Potter being her favorite series, it isn’t hard to recognize Katy’s passion. Those books opened up a whole new world for her and many other people of all ages, and being able to open up that same world and love for reading to others is certainly magical.
“I know that if I spend every day of my life helping children realize their potential and develop a love for learning, I will definitely not be disappointed. All of my experiences in the college of education here only solidify that belief.”
Appalachian is a pretty accepting campus, and even within the school, Katy found an organization and a group of girls to accept her – even when she leaves a pile of her things in their rooms, loses her wallet on a daily basis, or can’t keep her phone charged. “Chi Omega is a group of strong, independent, philanthropic, incredible women, and I could not be more honored to have found my place amongst them. My sisters in Chi Omega encourage me every day, and put up with my shenanigans better than anyone.”
As cliché as it may sound to some, its not hard see just how Chi Omega has impacted Katy, just as strongly as her choice to attend Appalachian and become an elementary special education teacher. It is through the sorority Katy says she has not only received valuable opportunities in leadership and teamwork, but it is the lifelong friendships that will be cherished now and in 40 years.
One of Katy’s sisters, Kalin Rierson, shared with me just how much she values Katy. “She is one of the best friends anyone could ask for. She is always there to laugh with you on good days and help you forget about the bad days. She’ll forever be one of my favorite people to share diet coke with. I can’t imagine my college years without her, even if she loses everything she owns.”
Coming into college, no one really knows the opportunities they’ll get. Appalachian helped Katy realize dreams she never knew she had, like working with special education students. Her involvement on campus helped her realize talents she never knew she had, such as event planning and fundraising for Chi Omega, the PanHellenic Council, and Her Campus.
“I don’t want my time here to end, but I know that I am a better person because of it.”