Katherine Ross had “a good feeling” about Viterbo University when she applied. Admission staff guided her through the entire application process and made everything convenient and stress free.

“I felt very welcome,” Ross said.

Today, Ross extends the same Franciscan hospitality she received with prospective students and their families as a Viterbo Voyager tour guide.

“I’ve really appreciated Viterbo’s ­Catholic and Franciscan heritage,” said Ross, a nursing major from ­Stevens Point. “Viterbo is like my second family.”

A practicing Catholic, Ross is very involved in campus ministry. She participates in retreats, Taize Prayer, praise and worship, and the weekly Thursday morning Mingle-Unwind-Gather event, or MUG as it is known by students. She also went on a week-long service trip to ­Chicago that she described as “very impactful.” Ross and her fellow participants worked at a food bank, soup kitchen, and organic garden.

“My faith has always been very important to me,” Ross said. “Viterbo campus ministry has a very nice community of people. I’ve made many friends through the program. I find campus ministry activities to be uplifting and a great place to go and relax, talk, and have fun.”

Ross also participates in Viterbo’s Service Saturday program, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, and served as a bell ringer for “Viterbo Rings” day for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. She serves as the president of the V-Hawks for Life pro-life student organization and as a member of student government. She enjoys baking and decorating cakes and outdoor activities like hiking on the bluffs in her limited spare time.

An aspiring nurse, Ross works as a nurse technician at Bethany Saint Joseph in La Crosse, where she is learning a great deal and gaining excellent experience for her future career.  Upon earning a degree, Ross would like to work in a hospital maternity ward or delivery room. She would also like to earn a master’s degree and become a nurse practitioner or midwife.