Kate Walsh

Howdy! My name is Kate Walsh (She/Her/Hers). I am currently in my junior year as a political science major with a Law & Politics option with a sociology minor. I am from Plano, TX which is a suburb outside of Dallas. 

I pride myself on my ambitious spirit so I have very big dreams after college! I plan to attend law school after graduation and hope to work in plaintiff litigation but my dream job would be to work for The Innocence Project.  

I am currently the Vice President of Recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, the Director of Facility Operations for my chapter, Delta Delta Delta, the Secretary for the Pre-Law Society, an Undergraduate Representative for ASOSU, a member of Order of Omega, the Corvallis Campus Student Representative for President Murthy’s Transition Committee, and I work for the Career Development Center on Campus!  

This is a tough question as I feel that success is both measured and interpreted differently by everyone. Obviously, I am so beyond proud of all the work I have done in my leadership roles as well as academically, but I feel that my biggest success has been my management of all of these responsibilities. When I make a commitment to something, I will do everything in my power to follow through on that commitment which can sometimes be detrimental to my well-being. However, at Oregon State, I have been supported by my faculty advisors, professors, and friendships I have truly been able to grow and learn how to balance all of my commitments since they are all things that I am passionate about. I have learned how to listen to myself when I need rest, manage my time, and still give my all to the respective organizations I am involved in.  

My favorite college memory that I have made so far has to be the experience I had while planning and carrying out our Fall Formal Recruitment this past year as the Assistant Vice President of Recruitment for Panhellenic. It is a lot of work, early mornings, late nights, dutch bros, and overall fun. Being able to work with women from all our different chapters, and laugh together was the most rewarding and amazing experience that I am so grateful to have again this year. Ending every night for a week with a face sore from laughing, caffeine flowing through my body, and the overall feeling of true friendship is my favorite part of being involved with the Panhellenic community (besides the incomparable leadership experience I have gained).  

When I started my position at the career development center in my sophomore year, I didn’t anticipate the passion and drive that I would have for helping our OSU community prepare for post-graduate life and job applications the way that I do now. I am so passionate about the work we are doing in the office in regard to career fairs, career resources, consultations, and other exciting products. I really hope to make the career development center and our services more well-known on campus so that everybody can take advantage and avoid added stress when it comes to the job/internship application process. Feel free to schedule a consultation with me via Handshake! 

Don’t be afraid to spend time alone. While I think it is important and helpful to find your community, whether through sorority/fraternity life or other student organizations, it is also important to be okay with hanging out with yourself. Take yourself out to dinner at a restaurant on Monroe, don’t be afraid to grab a table in the MU to work on your homework by yourself. I have learned the most about myself throughout these past three years and I am most grateful for the connection I have made with myself. Don’t get me wrong, the friendships and relationships you make are so incredibly valuable but you are the only person you have to spend the rest of your life with and stepping into your independent spirit and self can take you so much farther than you ever thought possible.  

While this is a challenge that I am still working to overcome, I think it is something that is incredibly important, especially for college students and one that we don’t talk about enough. I have been struggling with imposter syndrome especially as I have come into my leadership roles. Imposter syndrome for me looks like when I get into leadership meetings or start working on a big project and start to doubt that I know what I am doing, I am capable of doing it, and that kind of negative thought process. The thing is that I am more than capable of doing projects and the responsibilities that I am tasked with and this is something that I just have to lean on people in my life to remind me of and to constantly remind myself of. I truly mean it and believe that everybody is capable of anything that you put your mind to and asking for help or reassurance should not be looked at as a negative thing.  

In the next year of my life, I am really excited for all of the emotions that come with post-graduate planning, especially looking ahead to law school. I love having a plan and I currently have a 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year plan for myself and those little moments where it all starts to feel real and come to fruition are my favorite moments! I am planning to attend law school in the fall of 2024 so I am really excited about that opportunity and what the future holds for me.  

As Elle Woods once said, It is with passion, courage of conviction, and strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world, remembering that first impressions are not always correct. You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.