CAMPUS CUTIE: Katie Shelledy
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Program of Emphasis: Biology
Graduation Year: 2017
I had the pleasure of meeting Katie last year when I was her RA in Sherwood. As a freshman, she already seemed to have a plan for herself, so I’m not surprised that she was nominated as this week’s campus cutie. She exemplifies the traits that we look for in a campus cutie. Just as a refresher, here is what CUTIE means to us:
C- Community Oriented
U- Unity Focused
T- Talented
I- Intellectual
E- Extraordinary
1. In what ways do you serve the Juniata community and/or your home community?
I am a volunteer group leader for Organic Chemistry (shout out to my OChem kids!), and I lector and cantor at Catholic Mass on-campus. At home, I’ve worked with a variety of service organizations, from St. Ben’s Meal Program to Growing Power.
2. In what ways would you consider yourself to be “unity focused”?
Exclusivity is a pet-peeve of mine, right up there with Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Consequently, I try to make people I interact with feel welcome and worthwhile, so that they can feel free to be themselves.
3. Do you have any special talents?
Other than knowing all the words to the Hercules soundtrack, I just got scuba certified, and I can make really good mint brownies.
Becoming scuba certified!
4. Have you done any work in the biology field? Do you have any internships planned? What would be your dream job?
I did a volunteer research project with Dr. Buonaccorsi last year on mountain redbelly dace phylogenetics, and I am in a biology research methods course with Dr. Muth and Dr. Grant this semester. I also lead a biology discussion group and TA for the Genetics Lab. In an ideal world, it would eventually be great to work in conservation education with an aquarium and also conduct research. That way, I could contribute both to the scientific community and to the community at large.
Katie posing with Jane Goodall at an Earth Day Conference!
5. What would you consider to be some of your strengths? What makes you “extraordinary”? What would you want people to know about you?
I am pretty much the least intimidating person in the world (I actually listed that as a strength in a job interview once, and I got the job!) However, I can also be tougher than I look – according to Buzzfeed, the Beyoncé song that describes what kind of woman I am is “Survivor”.
The Katie Shelledy Family!
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