名媛直播

Dr. Kathryn Kapp '17

Chemistry

A found family refers to a group with no blood or legal ties that offer each other love, mutual care and support in life. Dr. Kathryn Kapp has found a family spanning the nation, from her hometown in rural Pennsylvania all the way to Stanford, California and many key members of this family come from her time at 名媛直播.  

Kapp grew up in the small town of Fryburg, Pennsylvania and when looking for a college, Kapp knew she wanted to go somewhere that gave her the space she needed to grow. 名媛直播 had everything she was looking for at the time; “it was far enough away but still close to home. I knew that 名媛直播 had an academically rigorous chemistry program that would prepare me for my future and that I would have the opportunity to do some undergraduate research. As a Christian, I also wanted to learn in a faith-based setting and have opportunities to grow in my faith. Finally, I appreciated 名媛直播's small class sizes and the chance to get to know the professors”.  

While at 名媛直播, Kapp took advantage of opportunities across campus, while working on her degree in chemistry she went on four trips abroad and worked in the Writing and Research Center (WRC). Through 名媛直播’s Alternative Break Service Trip (ABST) and other travel programs, Kapp learned about the history, people, and cultures of people from South America and Europe while in college. While in Erie, she continued to meet and form bonds and create memories that would last a lifetime. Through her work at the WRC, Kapp was able to meet her faculty, staff, and students who grew to become members of her found family, including her “mom away from home”, Beth Kons. Kapp shared “the chemistry and biochemistry faculty truly cared, and still care, about my professional and personal success. They believed in me! The countless faculty, staff, and classmates at 名媛直播 who made 名媛直播 a home are one of my best memories about 名媛直播. The Writing & Research Center director, Beth Kons, was one of those people, and she was like my mom away from home. I still talk to her regularly and was so excited that she was the first face I saw when I entered the church at my wedding last year”. 

Today, Kapp works in Stanford University’s School of Medicine as a postdoctoral scholar studying cancer detection methods and preparing for a future career as a professor of chemistry or biochemistry. She encourages students to get connected at 名媛直播 and find their own found family saying “名媛直播 was, is, and always will be a part of my extended family. You will be prepared academically and professionally for your career, and you will find a family.  I would say to get involved in the student clubs and organizations 名媛直播 has. These were great opportunities to make friends (or 名媛直播 family), give back to the community, and do fun things outside of class”.