Humans of ASE part 4: Kathleen – President of the 4th ASE Club Management Committee
Humans of ASE is a nine-part interview series by the ASE Club Publicity team (previously published on Instagram). This part features Kathleen, undergraduate student and president of the 4th ASE Club Management Committee.
Could you do a quick self-introduction? Include an interesting fact about yourself. :-)
My name is Kathleen, I am in year 2 and I am the President of the 4th ASE Club Management Committee.
What made you run for president and what is your vision for ASE in the coming years?
I ran for president because I wanted to try taking on a leadership role. For me, ASE is a perfect opportunity to try new things because it’s a new school and a small community. All my friends have been so supportive that working with them has been easy and very fulfilling. Being the president also makes me part of the student council, and I wanted to try pushing for sustainability initiatives on a larger scale.
In the future, I hope that ASE will become a platform for students to become empowered and push for social change. I feel that passion is what drives a lot of students here and being with like-minded people has encouraged me to be more outspoken about the issues I care about. I hope that future ASE students will experience this too, to empower them to lead their own initiatives for whatever cause they feel strongly about.
What do you most enjoy about your time in ASE?
I enjoy what I learn about in class. Even if I never use this knowledge again, studying about the world around me has given me a deep appreciation for the natural environment and the processes that drives its changes. I am now acutely aware of how little I know and the need to continue learning and thinking about a broad range of issues.
What would you like to say to students who might wish to join this course?
Every course has its pros and cons. ASE is young and still developing. The courses you take may not always meet up to your expectations and you won’t enjoy everything you’re learning. But the professors here encourage feedback to improve their content and teaching methods, and the close interactions you have with your peers and the professors can provide you with opportunities here that are difficult to find elsewhere.