Katie Lee ’16 was a biology major, but her first job won’t be in a lab. After four years at Haverford, she is staying on at the College to work for its Office of Admission. Her role as admission counselor, which she started on July 11, allows her to travel to different regions to speak to high school students about Haverford, conduct interviews, read and assess applications, and work with the student volunteers in the office.
During her last three years of college, Lee was one of those student volunteers. And it was while working for the Admission Office that she noted the passion of the staff and the thoughtfulness they put into creating a class of students who would thrive at Haverford, all of which inspired her to continue to be a part of the admission community.
Lee also served as a host and a tour guide while she was a student, and she feels that being involved in these important parts of the admission process helped prepare her for her new position.
“The encouragement and support from the admission staff helped me gain the skills that are important for this job, and I’m always going to be so grateful for the time I spent as a student volunteer,” she says.
Lee is looking at the job of admission counselor as another way of serving people and communities, which has always been important to her.
“I’ve always been passionate about helping others,” says Lee, who is inspired by parents, who “have always worked tirelessly and selflessly to support and encourage” those around them.
Though higher-education admissions is a different world from the biology lab, she plans to approach her work in the office the same way she approached her coursework. “The sheer work ethic that is involved in a [biology] thesis, or really any thesis for that matter, is the work ethic I want to translate into anything I do post-grad,” she says.
But the main source of inspiration for her new career is the wonderful experience she had at the College and the admiration she has for her alma mater.
“It’s safe to say,” she says, “that having a positive experience at Haverford really pushed me to want to share the opportunities and values of Haverford with other students.”
Photo: Patrick Montero
“Where They’re Headed” is a blog series reporting on the post-collegiate plans of recent Haverford graduates.