Hi everyone! My name is Catherine Counts, but I usually go by Cat. I was born in Cincinnati, OH, moved to Boston for most of my childhood, then moved across the country to Seattle, WA before high school. These moves have allowed me to gain valuable perspective from people all across the board, which is something I am very appreciative of. I am a first year Biomedical Engineering student on a Pre-Med track, so I am very familiar with the workload students in Engineering take on.

The past school year, I had the privilege of being a member of the UPUA First Year Council (FYC). I have attended numerous General Assemblies, worked on the Know Your Academic Rights Campaign, and joined the Academic Affairs Committee in which all college representatives are a part of. These experiences have allowed me to become familiar with UPUA as an organization, meaning instead of learning how everything works, I can get straight to making change. I am currently a THON Fundraising Chair in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), which has helped keep me involved at Penn State and well connected with fellow engineers. SWE as well as my courses in general allow direct access and community with students in the College of Engineering, meaning they are great sources of student feedback.

Engineering students can be easy to overlook because they do not fit into the liberal arts umbrella, but I want to change that. I want to increase involvement of engineering students in UPUA events and work closely with the Engineering Undergraduate Council to better collaborate with existing engineering orgs as well as stay connected to the voices of engineering students. I am so proud to be in the College of Engineering, and I want to give back by making its students my first priority in what I do, say, and vote on in UPUA. I intend to truly embody what it means to represent such a large and diverse group of people.
Aside from academics, I like to read, explore new areas, window shop, go thrifting, watch movies, play with my dogs, listen to music (my favorites are The Lumineers and Fleetwood Mac), and eat froyo! I hope I can earn your support as the College of Engineering Representative, and do not hesitate to reach out with questions at cdc5903@psu.edu!

Society of Women Engineers, WEP, UPUA