Spanish and anthropology double major Kate Lewis is finishing off her senior year at Berry before heading to Colombia to teach English with the Peace Corps.
When it came time to choose a college, Kate searched high and low for the right fit, but it was the tight-knit community and the welcome that she felt from the faculty at Berry that really swayed her that this was the place to be.
Kate came to Berry with the intention of becoming a medical doctor, but when she studied abroad in Peru her sophomore year and worked at a clinic there, she realized her interests didn’t lie in practicing medicine. Once she came back to the U.S., she had a paid opportunity to teach English as a Second Language in the LifeWorks program at Berry and loved it. She realized she could still help people even in non-traditional ways.
Kate also developed a passion for working with non-profits outside of the classroom while being guided by meaningful faculty and staff mentors.
“Kate has impressed me, because she has taken on challenges and sought out opportunities to improve herself and develop,” says Kate’s anthropology advisor Dr. Brian Campbell. “She has worked with me through coursework on community engagement activities at the Bagwell Food Pantry and Davies Shelter and is currently working with the Ruth and Naomi Shelter as it gets underway. I think the sky is the limit for Kate.”
Berry taught Kate that reinventing yourself midstream is okay. In fact, it’s necessary for finding and refining a passion that aligns with your inner purpose. Kate is taking her passion for people to Colombia post-graduation where she will teach English with the Peace Corps. “I’m really excited to move to Colombia and see where it takes me…and just be engaged in a different culture,” she says.
staff writer
