Catie Gilhooly, Alum '23
Majors: English Literature, Professional Writing
Minors: Management; Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Hello there! My name is Catie Gilhooly and I am from Munster, Indiana, double-majoring in English Literature and Professional Writing with minors in Management and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. My plan is to go into publishing, thus the weird combination of English and business!
You may be asking yourself: English at Purdue? What?! And I will be completely honest, I was so apprehensive about going to a STEM-dominated school to study English. While I did my research and learned all about the (amazing) program here, I still was not completely sold until one of my first visits to campus. Up until that point, I had never met another student or faculty member that fully understood the editing path I saw myself on. I walked into my first one-on-one meeting with an English faculty member and said, “This is what I want to do,” fully expecting a so-so response. But instead, they replied, “Here’s how we’re going to get you there.” I was beyond impressed, and needless to say I was hooked. From then on, I knew Purdue was going to be my first choice.
Since being a student in Purdue English, I have only fallen more in love with the English department as well as the College of Liberal Arts. I started off in the Engaging English living-learning community, which I highly recommend for incoming English majors. Through that course, I was able to form friendships with classmates I still see in my classes today, as well as connecting with my professors and seeking out English opportunities beyond the classroom. Flash forward to today, and I have worked as an undergraduate tutor in the renowned Purdue Writing Lab and am currently working as the Journal Coordinator for the Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research, an academic journal on campus. Both of these roles have given me real-world experiences and knowledge I will use far after my graduation from Purdue.
Outside of the College of Liberal Arts, I also found a home in the Honors College here. One of my favorite things about the Honors curriculum is the focus on interdisciplinary learning. I was living and studying with future engineers, nurses, physicists, and politicians, sharing my love of literature and writing with them. In the same token, I learned so much about different ways of learning from interacting with my friends on a day-to-day basis that I never would have been able to experience had I not attended Purdue. Beyond my peers, I also made valuable faculty connections that have served me well and will continue to do so as I continue on to graduate school or the workplace. Though I no longer live in the Honors College Residences, I love going back and always manage to see a familiar face.
Another one of my “homes” on campus is the Purdue Bands & Orchestras department. Music has such a huge impact on my life, and I wanted to keep pursuing that passion in a non-competitive setting. The indoor music programs here at Purdue became the perfect outlet for me to do just that! I’ve also served the department as a Bands Ambassador and as a brother of our chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national band service co-ed fraternity. I have found some of my best friends in this department and have found myself falling back in love with music and performing countless times throughout the last two years. It also serves as a great “brain break” from my studies, and helps me to tap into my creative side!
Though my college experience has been far from what I thought it would be when I initially chose Purdue, I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. Over the last two and a half years, I have truly seen myself grow in ways I never knew possible, and it is all thanks to Purdue. There are endless possibilities to learn more and do whatever excites you on this campus, and the CLA community is extremely supportive in getting you to wherever you want to be. I encourage you to come visit us and check it out for yourself, and to remember to try EVERYTHING your first year of college just to see what clicks for you. I made some of my best memories on campus when I said “yes” to the things I was the most afraid of. Stay safe everyone, and Boiler Up!