For Katelyn Meyer ’11, her time at Viterbo University was a period of discovery, growth, and connection. Drawn to Viterbo’s close-knit community and emphasis on servant leadership, she found an environment that encouraged both academic and personal development. From engaging classroom discussions and a supportive network of peers and professors to hands-on experiences like internships, study abroad opportunities, and presenting at the Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium, Katelyn embraced every opportunity to learn and challenge herself. In this Q&A, she reflects on how her Viterbo experience shaped her perspective, strengthened her voice, and prepared her for life beyond graduation.

CAREER JOURNEY

Q: What is your current role?

I am a project manager for an insurance technology software company. I do a little bit of everything. It ranges anywhere from internal projects and working directly with clients to writing reports, processing incident reports, to directing SCRUM ceremonies.

Q: How did you get from graduation to where you are now?

I started off as a UX copywriter when I was working for a Catholic Publishing company. They put me in the role of QA testing. From there they put me in project management and that is what I have been doing since.

EDUCATION AND BACKGROUND

Q: Why did you choose to study English at Viterbo University?

I originally went to Duluth, but it just wasn’t a good fit and I transferred to Viterbo my sophomore year. Both of my sisters attended Viterbo and my middle sister was still going to school at the time. It was the best decision I could’ve made.

Duluth was beautiful, but one of the things I knew I was missing was that sense of community. At Viterbo I loved being able to walk into a classroom with 20 students at the most. You really got to know your professors and your other classmates. I still have friends I’m in contact with on a regular basis from Viterbo.

I also loved La Crosse. It was a bigger city with a small-town atmosphere, combined with outdoor recreation opportunities.

I really loved the focus on servant leadership and seeing that in action all across the campus. I remember visiting my oldest sister and going to Place of Grace with her quite a bit and being so close to helping people and feeling like what I was doing actually mattered. Going to college mattered, but being part of a larger community and helping was one of the best parts about Viterbo.

There are very few places that make you feel like you’re really part of a community. And Viterbo definitely makes you feel like part of a community. Especially when you’re away from home or on your own for the first time. You have that supportive network around you and you’re getting a really good education, not just academically but personally—Viterbo is top-notch.

One of the things I loved about Viterbo actually surprised me. For as small as it is, it’s a very diverse group of people. I came from a pretty small town, so I wasn’t quite used to that diversity. I really appreciated and loved every moment of being able to learn from a whole bunch of different people, opinions, and cultures. That’s definitely something I think has helped me not only personally, but also professionally.  

Q: Did you have any internships, research projects, or extracurricular activities during your time at Viterbo?

Internship

I interned at the YMCA in their marketing department. I remember writing a lot of press releases and writing talking points for key speakers for fundraising events. I did a lot of proofreading and editing.

My internship helped me get into my master’s program, which then helped me get jobs. It was a really good learning experience on what you can actually do with an English degree.

Rolph Samuels had us read a book, “I’m an English Major, Now What?” There are so many careers you might not realize. For me, getting to delve into the marketing side of things was a really good path toward UX copy writing, which is where I started.

Study Abroad

My first time traveling abroad, I went to China for three weeks for a philosophy class I took. Two years later I was able to travel to Italy. I’d never really traveled inside the country, let alone outside the country. I was pretty new to that whole experience—going someplace else and having to learn not just how to communicate with others, but with others who don’t speak your native tongue.

Part of the curriculum was that you had to keep a journal. I remember thinking, “Here’s this whole big world, and I’m lucky enough that I get to be here and write this experience down.” I developed into a whole new person—I never expected that to happen.

Even today, it’s so fun to relive those moments. There were definitely a lot of laughs, fun, and growth that took place on those trips!

I also took a trip with Viterbo to help cleanup Biloxi, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina happened. I loved that this school not only talked the talk, but walked the walk. I saw that through the service work at Place of Grace and in Biloxi. 

Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium

I did the undergrad research symposium—Rolph had encouraged us that creative pieces could be presented. And I was like “I’m going to take you up on that challenge.” I submitted my proposal for one of my short stories. I used the imagery of this French photographer to create a short story off of it. I ended up with “Best Presented” in the room.  

Q: Did you have a minor? How did that fit in to your degree path?

I am truly grateful I minored in Women’s Studies. My undergraduate degree allowed for this minor to fit in easily to my schedule, so I added it in. I vividly remember a course with April Denny. We had less than ten students in the course. However, the topics we covered, the debates we had, the emotions we felt when talking about current gender issues helped me understand what I stand for as a person, not only for myself but for others. 

STRENGTHS AND TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS

Q: Why major in English?

I love that there is such a level of simplicity and complexity [to English]. No matter what, you’ve got to learn how to communicate with people. It happens on so many different levels. I love understanding people and thinking about how to get the message across to them.

It was so fun to dive into that world of “how do you communicate,” “how did all the greats do it before us.” I remember discussing a piece of writing in class with Susan [Crosby] and spending so much time being like “well I thought about it this way,” and just learning how to discuss and debate with each other. Those are definitely things I deal with on a daily basis.

Q: What skills from your English major do you use the most in your current work?

I have to use my English degree every day, because most of my job is communication. One of the things that sticks with me the most is knowing your intended audience. Sometimes I have to tailor my communication for the executive level. It could be the same information I’ve presented to the team, but I have to change the tone and formality.

Every day I’m doing presentations. As a project manager you’re always the one leading and facilitating meetings. Then afterwards I write the summaries for all those different meetings. Part of my job is to have the whole story. While developers only need to know one feature, I have to see everything as a whole and take a very wholistic approach. I have to see that this part lends itself to this part and then determine how I tell that story to our stakeholders.

REFLECTIONS AND ADVICE

Q: Do you have any advice for current English majors?

Push yourself. Sometimes it’s easy to want to copy other people’s styles. Challenge yourself to find your own voice. It’s not always easy, and there’s plenty of times when people don’t understand you. I would encourage people to keep writing, reading, and learning, and eventually you’ll find your own voice. And then make sure you use it.  

Explore the Program

At Viterbo, English students explore the power of words while finding their own voice. Through a mix of literature and writing courses, you’ll study great storytellers and build skills in creative writing, editing, critical thinking, research, and communication.