Katie Taylor ’16

Katie_Taylor

Hometown: Bend, Or

High School: Bend Senior High School

Major/Minor: Biology, possibly Religion minor

E-mail: kntaylor@middlebury.edu

Activities: Mushroom Foraging Club, Admissions Office Worker

Study Abroad? (have you, or are you planning on it, where/when?): I definitely want to study abroad during my time at Midd. I’m assuming that I’ll go Junior year because it seems to be a good year to spend some time elsewhere. I’m hoping to go to New Zealand or Australia.

Why did you choose Middlebury?

The story of Middlebury and me is little bit complicated, but in essence, it was more or less fate that caused me to choose Middlebury. I applied as sort of an after-thought and ended up getting in after a substantial amount of rejections. Living on the opposite side of the country and being low-income, I was struggling to find a way for me to visit campus without forcing my family into debt, so I ended up calling the admissions office and inquiring as to whether they offered any assistance to low-income prospective students. The next day I received an email from Scott Atherton with a flight itinerary sending me to Vermont for Middlebury’s preview days and a quick message that asked me to let him know as soon as possible if the flights worked for me so that he could book them. I quickly replied and confirmed the flights. The night before I left for Midd, my mom made a deal with me, she didn’t want me to tell her if I was going to accept Middlebury’s offer; instead, she asked me to buy her a sweatshirt that said “Middlebury Panthers” on it and to place it on top of my suitcase so that when I got home she could open it up and see my decision. Once I actually got on campus, it was like something had clicked and I just knew that I would end up accepting Middlebury’s offer of admission. Just as my initial reaction confirmed, I had an amazing time during preview days. The people I met were awesome, the atmosphere of the campus felt like home and the general feel of the whole college just felt right. I later found out that I was awarded an incredible financial aid package, which officially sealed the deal. On the final day of preview days, I walked down to the bookstore and bought my mom her sweatshirt. The rest is history.

Why/How did you choose your major?

Biology has really always been something that has captured my interest; even in the seventh grade I most looked forward to my biology class with Mrs. Behrens. So it felt natural for me to pursue that interest in college. Although I came to Middlebury knowing full well that I was attending a liberal arts college and that my mind was not made up by any means, but after taking Cell Biology and Genetics I really felt that biology was something that I was still very eager to continue studying.

What was your biggest challenge transitioning into the college atmosphere?

Definitely adjusting to being on the East Coast and 3,000 miles away from home, but once I had adjusted I really started to love the difference between my new home and my home in Oregon.

What is your fondest memory of Middlebury thus far?

Going to the spring symposium and seeing all of the research that senior’s had dedicated so much of their time to. It was great to see the passion that the students had for their research and how they were able to share it with the rest of the student body. Also, the spring symposium happened to land on a gorgeous day and it just felt that the campus was a little more cheery than usual.

What is your favorite class you’ve taken here?

So far, my favorite class has been Hindu Traditions of India taught by Harshita Kamath. Not only was the material incredibly interesting and covered a wide breadth, but professor Kamath was probably one of the best professors I have had in my time at Middlebury.

What do you do in your spare time?

Sketch, listen to music, visit various local stores and of course spend time with friends.

Which Harry Potter character would you be and why?

Buckbeak the Hippogriff because he is saved by the one and only Harry Potter, he can fly, and he gets to be Sirius Black’s best friend.

You’re taking a cross country road trip: which Middlebury professor do you bring along and why?

Catherine Combelles. She’s always so positive and has great advice. Knowing me I would probably get lost somewhere along the way and I know that I could count on Catherine to have a great attitude and help me find the right path.

One piece of advice you would give prospective students in the admissions process?

It’s going to be a long process, but you just need to keep your head up because you will end up where you need to be in the end. Even if you don’t get into the school of your dreams, you will find you niche. Also, remember that a school accepts you because they know that you can succeed and thrive there.

Leave a Reply