By BRIANA SPINA
News Editor
The title was lifted from my interview with Vivian Leung, a freshman student who has Kate Pierce as a Resident Assistant. In fact, this is the first thing she said about Pierce, and one would be hard-pressed to find someone who dissents.
Pierce, the executive editor of The Chronicle, has attended the College of Saint Rose as a communications major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in computer science for the past three years, and because she put her mind to it, she is graduating with her bachelor’s degree two full semesters early with the class of 2018.
On graduating early, Pierce talked about how it was not her original intention, but was able to work it out with the help of the college credits she took through her high school.
“Overall,” she said, “it’s been an emotional rollercoaster, from being proud of my accomplishments to being sad that I’ll miss out on a year with my friends.”
Elizabeth Richards and Dr. Cailin Brown, two of Pierce’s COM professors, can attest to her stellar academic performance and attitude.
“Every day,” Richards said, “Kate is always alert in class and eager to be there. She loves to learn, and loves to see the practical application of what she is learning.”
As Pierce’s academic adviser and her professor for three courses, Richards said that the COM department and Saint Rose as a whole are “so lucky to have had Kate Pierce as a student.”
Brown also lauded Pierce for her dedication to her studies, which “resulted in a paid internship which resulted in a job immediately after graduation.”
Since the Fall 2017 semester, Pierce has been an intern at the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), where she has written press releases, published articles in the news magazine, created advocacy and conference videos, and designed informational materials. Her photo of the Capitol Building was used on the front cover of the NYSAC News 2018 Legislative Guide. Starting later this month, Pierce will be working at NYSAC full-time as a multimedia specialist, a position which was created specifically for her.
“Kate Pierce is living proof that hard work pays off,” Brown said.
One of Pierce’s favorite courses was Journalism 1, taught by Brown, which she took during the spring semester of her freshman year.
“That’s what started my career with The Chronicle and really fueled my passion for reporting and truth-seeking,” Pierce said of her experience in the class.
Brown is also the faculty adviser of The Chronicle; she and the editorial staff are grateful to have an executive editor as competent as Pierce.
“Kate devoted an extraordinary amount of her time to managing the business of The Chronicle,” Brown said. “Kate is a strong writer, and she delivers well-researched thoughtful stories. She earned the Editor’s Award this year because of her ability to lead a staff that is united and collaborative.”
On her experience with The Chronicle, Pierce said “It’s changed who I am as a journalist, from my very beginnings to where I am now. It has also really helped me to develop my leadership skills, both with the staff and on campus.”
Brown describes Kate as someone with a “strong work ethic,” who is “an initiator and a problem-solver, both [of which] have served her here at school and outside of school.” Though Pierce’s hard work has made her stand out, and rightfully so, her friendliness is what immediately comes to Brown’s mind.
“Kate Pierce is a kind human. She is empathetic and compassionate, and both of those qualities have contributed to Kate’s success,” Brown said.
These welcoming traits had a big impact on Leung when she arrived at Brubacher Hall on move-in day. As a first-generation college student, Leung said she didn’t know what she was expecting or what was going to happen during her time here at Saint Rose. She recalls being one of the first residents to move into Pierce’s hall, Bru 1 Center.
“She was the first person to have ever made me feel welcomed and at home,” Leung said.
Throughout the course of the year, Pierce had many memorable moments with her floor. She had a weekly program called Thirsty Thursdays during which she and her residents could hang out and decompress at the end of the rigorous school week.
Leung’s favorite memory with Kate was at one of these events. She and her floor, along with RA Tyler Bushey from a different hall, played the game “Werewolf” for the first time, which Leung remembers was a blast because “it was fun trying to figure out who the werewolf was and catching each other in lies.”
Though their hall was the smallest, Leung said “I believe that we had the strongest bond, and that is all because of Kate.”
“All in all,” Leung continued, “Kate was someone I could go [and] talk to and just hang out with. She’s the best RA I could have ever asked for as she had made my freshman year the most memorable year of my life and I am so thankful for that.”
Sam Lund, a senior, has known Pierce for a longer time, or as he explained, “since the literal beginning of [his] college career.” The two first met at a Meet Your Major freshmen orientation event and became friends after attending the first Chronicle meeting of the Fall 2015 semester. He remembers that they walked back to Pierce’s dorm building, Lima Hall, after the meeting, as Pierce thought Lund lived there as well, but he was a commuter student. At the time he “didn’t realize she was going to become one of [his] best friends.”
Lund talked about how Pierce was considering being a commuter student like him, but she chose to stay on campus to be more involved with the Saint Rose community, though “involved” is a bit of an understatement.
He is “always amaze[d]” with how Pierce “can put herself out there and do such a great job,” mentioning the many roles Pierce has played on campus during her time at Saint Rose: The Chronicle, Saint Rose Television, the e-board for the National Society of Leadership and Success, an RA, all while keeping up with her duties as a student.
“If we switched bodies for a day I wouldn’t be able to handle the amount of work she does,” Lund said. “There are people who go through life doing the bare minimum just to scrape by, but Kate is the exact opposite.”
He further described how Pierce goes above and beyond to help out anyone. She is dependable, loyal, and always there for Lund when he needs her.
Richards also has been on the receiving end of Pierce’s altruism, describing her as the “number one babysitter” for her young daughter, Octavia. She sees that Pierce’s altruistic nature goes far beyond childcare, though.
“Kate is an advanced human,” Richards said. “Her capacity for caring about others is huge, and sadly, not typical in our society. She has the confidence and maturity to make herself vulnerable to others, which is no easy feat.”
Brown, too, knows that Pierce is a “distinguished” individual: an optimist, “an achiever, and a striver.”
Both professors hope for Pierce’s future happiness and growth. Richards is sure that Pierce, ever-determined, will “challenge herself intellectually, professionally, and personally.” Along with wishes for Pierce’s good health, Brown notes that “her kindness in the face of adversity will serve her well.”
Likewise, Lund wishes the best for Pierce, describing her as “an amazing person, a great friend, and an overall wonderful human being who will do great things in the world.” He concluded with an even more heartfelt sentiment.
“When I grow up, I want to be just like her,” Lund said.
