Humans of Bayanihan #2 - Katrina Reeder
"The ability to communicate is something that everyone should have, and I think it's essential for being able to build relationships and feeling understood"
Growing up, what was your childhood like?
I'm from this really small town named Montgomery, Minnesota. It's a predominately Czech area, and every year they hold a big three-day Czech festival called 'Kolacky Days'. As a kid, I had a really special childhood living in the country. My best friend is my little sister who is a year younger than me. Most of our time was spent outside, taking walks during the summer and making forts in the trees. I lived in the same house that my ancestors built 5 generations ago, and our house was an essential part of the community. People were always coming in and out of our the house; sometimes they would just drive up and have dinner with us. And sometimes my grandparents would just invite people over without any warning, as if it was still their house. This one time, three old guys came over in the middle of the day while I was still in my bikini! I'd just never know what to expect.
What are your passions and interests?
I'm very passionate about speech pathology and learning different languages; my goal to become as culturally competent as possible. My other passions include theater, violin, and music in general–I got into music because my dad owns a music store back home, and I started playing violin at 7 years old. At Marquette, I joined the orchestra. Playing in an orchestra was challenging at first, because I had never been played in a group before. I was used to one-on-one lessons. However, I do like the orchestra better, because it sounds great when all the instruments click together.
I've also been involved in theater since the second grade. Recently I played as Frenchie in Grease over the summer . . .it's probably one of my favorites because it was the most professional production I've been in. I did it through Curtain Call Theater in Minnesota. Playing as Frenchie challenged me more than any other character that I've played before, because she has a unique personality that's very different from mine. I had to change myself and my voice in order to play the part. During high school, I was involved in community theater in the fall and spring, and in the winter I would do competitive 1 act theater. Out of all types of theater, my favorite to do are musicals because they combine everything I love: music, dancing, and acting. Like Frenchie, I typically played as very over-the-top characters, such as Violet Newstead in 9 to 5 during my junior year, and Cat in the Hat from Seussical the Musical during my senior year of high school. I love playing these types of characters because they test me to see how far I can push my acting abilities. I don't really have a favorite musical; I guess whatever musical I'm performing in is my favorite at that time.
What do you want to do with your life after college? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I became a speech pathology major because I want to give bilingual therapy to Spanish speaking clients. In America, ESL people often fall behind just because their native language is not in English, even if they are smart. By pursuing this career, I have this great opportunity to learn other languages and let people who don't speak English know that we are trying to relate and connect with them. In high school, I went on a trip to Costa Rica with my Spanish Class where we toured around and did volunteer work. Basically we bought some non-perishable goods from the grocery store to bring to families who were struggling; my family in particular had a son with down syndrome. I was so touched by this experience, and my dream is to one day start a non-profit speech and hearing clinic in South America.
Is what you're doing now what you always wanted to do growing up?
I guess I never really thought about it . . . When I was little, I wanted to be a dancer or an actress; I didn't know that I wanted to go into speech pathology until the beginning of my senior year. My mom was the principal at an elementary school, and so I struggled to choose between going into education or the medical field. For me, speech pathology was like the perfect combination of medicine, education, psychology, and social justice–everything just blends so well! I truly believe that the ability to communicate is something that everyone should have, and I think it's essential for being able to build relationships and feeling understood.
What's your greatest challenge right now?
I think that my biggest challenge right now is not being able to afford all the things that I want to do. I want to travel to Spanish speaking countries to improve my proficiency, but I also need to pay for my own education. I'm planning on doing a home-stay program in Bolivia this summer where I'd take classes and do service there for two months, but If I go, I might not be able to pay my tuition. So it's yeah it's quite difficult, haha.
What's your philosophy in life? Your mantra that helps you get through the day?
Success is something that only you can define for yourself. My version of success is the ability to put my talents to use in the service of others. ♦
