Year: 1st year graduate student
Hometown: Ravenna, OH
Major/Program: School Counseling Program
Her Campus: Why don’t we start off by talking about some hobbies of yours?
Katy Scott: “I love photography, hiking, thrifting, and repurposing old furniture.”
HC: Oh that’s an interesting hobby.
KS: “Yeah! I think old, used furniture has so much character and I love it. My summer project is going to be reupholstering these dining room chairs I found…if I can afford upholstery by then.”
Photo By Katy Scott
HC: What would you say is your biggest pet peeve?
KS: “When people are pretentious and feel that the world owes them something. You can’t even have a conversation with someone like that. Those people who feel that they’re better than everyone else really bother me.”
HC: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
KS: “I’m very genuine and open. I’m an open book and I always mean what I say. I stick to my words, values, and beliefs. Our peers are terrified of being judged, but I don’t really give a shit.”
HC: What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to overcome?
KS: “My anxiety. I was constantly worrying about little things that didn’t matter, like being in peoples’ ways at grocery stores. It was so bad it was hurting my relationships with people so one day I decided I was going to therapy. I was diagnosed with Non-Specified Anxiety, which means I have symptoms from a lot of different ones, not just one disorder. Then, I went through 12 weeks of therapy in the summer of 2013 and it had such a positive affect on me. I don’t freak out anymore and I can go into grocery stores now.”
Photo By Katy Scott
HC: Well good, I’m glad! How’s your time here as a grad student going?
KS: “I love my program so much. This was the spot for me. The professors are great and everyone in my program is really close. It’s a lot of work, but the work is what makes it fun.”
HC: What’s your dream job?
KS: “I always wanted to be a mortician.”
HC: Wow, really?
KS: “Yeah, I experienced a lot of death as a kid and I coped with it by learning about it. After high school, I was going to apply to school to become a mortician, but you needed a medical degree. I thought: ‘Is this realistic for me?’ So instead I went to Kent State to pursue a degree in education. I do have to say I spent six hours watching Forensic Files the other day, but in regards to counseling; I want to work in a school, a high school to be specific, that has an open mind and supports all its students.”
HC: What do you hope to achieve in life?
KS: “I want to change that pattern of ‘my school counselor didn’t do anything for me‘. I want to make kids love school and I want to make sure every one of my students has a plan after high school. People are afraid of saying college isn’t for everyone, but it’s not realistic to assume everyone is meant to go to college. There are plenty of other options, and I want to make sure every one of my students has a plan for their future before they graduate.”
HC: Why do you want to be a high school counselor?
KS: “Honestly, I don’t like small children. I think it’s because I grew up an only child surrounded by a lot of adults. Also, I feel I can relate really well to high schoolers. High schoolers have a lot of problems and they need someone to be honest with them and treat them with respect. If I talk to them about my own problems and self-expose I can really help them.”
HC: That’s awesome, now what do you think is going to be the hardest part about your job?
KS: “Knowing I can’t take my kids home with me. Dealing with the emotional toll of this job is going to be tough. Knowing I’ll have to leave work at work, and having to see the kids go home to troublesome environments knowing I can only help them at school.”
HC: Who would you say inspired you to pursue what you wanted?
KS: “No one specific. All of my likes pushed me here. I was an education major, but then I found out I have a learning disability called dyscalculia. It’s like dyslexia but with numbers. I actually discovered my disability here. In class we were learning about various learning disabilities and thought I had dyscalculia. So I diagnosed myself then went and got tested and it turned out I was right. It was too hard to pursue an education degree. So, I had all these English credits and my counselor told me I could get a graduates degree in counseling. That experience pushed me towards counseling because I want to help kids before they’re 21. No one did that for me.”
HC: Are there any current issues in society that you feel particularly passionate about?
KS: “Ooo good topic. Uh, lots of things actually. Children in poverty here in the US, especially in inner cities, and how it affects their education and social skills. Mental health is another big one, I mean I’m going to be a school counselor. So, how we can improve the mental health of adolescents and children? What can we do to get rid of this stigma and start having real discussions on mental health? There wouldn’t be so much stigma and shame regarding it if we viewed mental illnesses like other diseases. We aren’t treating the mentally ill until it’s too late. We’re afraid to talk about mental illnesses and our own problems seriously. People our age romanticize mental illness. They say things like, ‘I was so angry yesterday, I’m so bipolar’, but if people really knew what anti-social and bipolar meant they wouldn’t use the terms so lightly.”
HC: What do you want people to take away from this interview?
KS: “That you should be open and honest. Nowadays, people are scared to express emotions and show vulnerability and that’s sad. Oh, and don’t judge someone for their past, what they love, or who they love. Because I’m a supporter of the LGBT community. Also, enjoy the little things. Like, there’s this section behind the library where I park every day. Day by day, I watched the leaves change seasons. It was so beautiful.”