Name: Kaitlyn Sledge
Year: Sophomore
Major: Journalism and Psychology
Hometown: Pleasant Hill, Oregon (we’re tiny!)
HCO: What are your favorite hobbies, or something that makes you unique?
Kaitlyn: Do college kids have time for hobbies? Hmm…I guess I have a few little talents. I like to knit and bake, I love ballroom dancing, and I’ve groomed and shown more goats than I’d like to admit. Is that a random enough collection? Haha…
But when I do have free time I like to go outside and explore. Camping and hiking are my favorite things to do in the summers. I also enjoy just having free time with my friends because they keep me entertained. Ooh, and coffee. Can coffee be a hobby?
HCO: How did you decide that UO was the right fit for you?
K: I wish I could say it was because I put a lot of thought and effort into where I was going to go to college, but that would be a lie. I kind of did the whole “find the perfect college” backwards. After growing up in a small town for my whole life, I wanted to go to some exotic college on the East Coast (essentially somewhere that I knew no one). But when it came down to it, I applied to only one college, and that was the UO. And I’m really glad I did – I love it here! I was afraid it was going to seem too much like home, but in reality campus is its own little world, and it’s kind of nice when I occasionally see someone on campus who I grew up with, and we can nod or say “hey” and keep going.
Now that I am a Duck, I can happily say that the UO is wonderful! I like how invested the campus is in the community, and vice versa. I think the campus is very welcoming and I’m constantly amazed at how many unique people we have here. I’ll be sad to leave it behind in two years…
HCO: As an RA in the residence halls, what made you decide to take this role on campus?
K: As a freshman in college, I felt really uninvolved. I saw the RA position as being a way to get connected with a variety of students on campus. And it really has been! I’ve met a ton of new people that I may not have known otherwise. Plus I get to be a sort of role model to the incoming students. It’s a good feeling when a student will come to me and ask something that I have an answer for- it means I’m doing my job well and helping them out.
HCO: What have you personally gained from the RA experience so far?
K: (The realization that being an RA is hard work, and that freshman are cray. Haha kidding…kinda.) But really, I have gained a ton of people skills and work skills while being an RA. This job requires you to always be on your toes and to be able to respond at any given moment. And sometimes I have no clue what I’m doing, so improvisation has become my friend!
HCO: Although you are just getting your start in the School of Journalism, why does this field intrigue you?
K: I love hearing other peoples’ stories! I’ve always thought it would be cool if I could create commercials that my friends and family could see on TV, or if I could say “Yea, I’m a columnist for the NY Times.” But it wasn’t until this year that I started actually interviewing people and seeing glimpses of their personal story, and I fell in love with that. I think it’s really cool that people are willing to let a stranger into their life and share their story with them. Plus, people are so inspirational! I think the people we talk to influence who we are as individuals, and what better way to meet a wide variety of people than to be a journalist?
HCO: What are your major aspirations in life?
K: Is it too cliché if I say “happiness”? I really don’t know where I want to end up in the future. Maybe that’s what is appealing about being a journalist- the job lets you travel, meet new people, find new stories, learn new things…it won’t get boring!
You’re probably looking for something more specific though…Well, I want to travel. I have a bucket list of 50 things I want to do before I’m 50, and right next to it I have a list of 50 places I want to see. I keep saying this, but people inspire me. Different cultures offer new perspectives, and people are just fascinating. A dream job would allow me to travel and meet people from places unfamiliar to me.
Other life goals: adopt a Corgi, learn new languages, and have great stories to tell my grandkids!