Running for some people is dreaded while others tolerate it, but for this week’s campus celebrity, running is a way of life. Senior Katie Beckett is one of the captains of the Bees cross country team and doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon. The Rockford, Ill, native is majoring in history education with an endorsement in psychology and hopes to coach track and cross country at the high school level.
Besides being a member of the cross country and track teams at Ambrose, Beckett is also a Peer Assistant for New Student Seminar and studied abroad last December in Italy for three weeks.
“We started the trip in Rome followed by Assisi, Florence and Milan,” Beckett said.
In order to earn her degree in Education, Beckett will have to student teach for a semester and she says that is what she is looking forward to most this year.
“I have been working towards this upcoming semester for a few years now, and am excited to be able to put all I’ve learned to practice,” Beckett said. With the current cross country season and track in the near future, Beckett is sure to be looking forward to a lot more this year. She claims her biggest achievement so far as racing the 4×8 at indoor nationals last season. This leads Beckett to hold high expectations for this year.
“I have high expectations not only for myself but for the cross country and track teams this year, our women’s teams are coming off a Triple Crown (team Conference Champs in Cross Country, indoor track and outdoor track)” Beckett said, noting that she is confident they will be able to repeat and go for a second Triple Crown this year.
As track and cross country have been such a big part of her time at Ambrose, it comes as no surprise that Beckett notes her coaches as her biggest role models.
“They have pushed me to be the best I can be and have demonstrated since day one what it means to be an Ambrosian,” Beckett said.
But there is more this senior than just running and hoping to one day become a teacher. Three things you might not know about Beckett are that she was a cheerleader in high school before joining track and cross country, she has been backstage for 2 concerts at a music festival in Rockford (Jason Derulo and Puddle of Mudd and Finger Eleven) and she has donated her hair twice in the last four years to Locks of Love.
Put this altogether and you have one very motivated and enthusiastic runner who hopes to pass that love for running on to her own students and athletes someday.