This summer, we are following grads from the Class of 2015 as they continue their journeys around the corner and across the globe. Kathryn Knox '15 is heading to Guatemala for two years to serve in the Peace Corps.
- Name: Kathryn Knox
- Class: 2015
- Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
- Major(s): social work, Spanish
- Next step: Peace Corps
What do you miss most about Calvin?
Community. Living away from campus so far has shown me just how intentional one has to be to keep up with the friends and connections made in school. I'd advise current students and future graduates not to take their community for granted.
What was your favorite space on campus?
The intercultural student lounge in the Commons Annex. Though I did not frequent that space on a weekly basis, I always knew that when I visited some group of students of various cultural backgrounds would be together unwinding and often having enlightening conversations about race in North America.
What's one thing you would want to tell someone starting his or her journey at Calvin?
I would tell them to be ready for challenge. Calvin is not a place for one to remain complacent in their views and intellect. It is a place of growth and strain that will ultimately assist you in becoming a stronger individual. Don't despise the challenge. Embrace it and seek it out.
What's fun about your workplace?
My workplace is fun because it allows me to travel and learn of new cultures. I will be living in Guatemala for the next two years and plan to use this experience and allow it to transform my life.
What about Calvin specifically prepared you for this position (that you may have not gained anywhere else)?
My interviewing class with the social work department best prepared me for my field. I now have the tools to interact with individuals and listen to their needs as I learn how to best serve them.
What class at Calvin uniquely prepared you for this position?
My time studying abroad in Honduras uniquely prepared me for this position since I will be returning to Central America with the Peace Corps. I now have a better understanding of what to expect of the culture when I begin training which is an advantage over my co-workers who may have never left the country.
A successful path
The success of Calvin grads goes beyond job titles, salaries, graduate degrees and employers as they pursue God's call on their lives. Still, the results are clear: Calvin grads get good jobs at places like Google, Pixar, National Geographic and Boeing, earn higher mid-career salaries than grads from other private colleges in Michigan (according to Payscale.com) and attend some of the best graduate schools in the country.
