My name is Katie, I'm from Connecticut and I'm 23. I am attending UConn for my Master's in Applied Genomics/Genetics. I graduated in May '06 from RPI and received my BS in Chemistry with a minor in biochemistry. I am also an alum of Alpha Phi sorority. My hobbies include playing volleyball, ice skating & ice hockey, horseback riding, hanging with my cousins, being outdoors, going to the movies/mall, and taking pictures of course.

I was born in Virginia in May and was 7 weeks early. We moved to Connecticut in 1987 when I was three. When I was in kindergarten my parents got a divorce so my mom and I moved into a different house. In September of 1993 my father died. I didn't really understand my father's death because I was so young. My father was an alcoholic, so I didn't see him very often either. I wish I could remember more about him.

I went to a private boarding school for high school, and I don't think I would trade in that experience for anything. I had amazing opportunities that I wouldn't have had in public school. But private school is everything you've imagined. I couldn't stand being fake for 4 minutes never mind 4 years. I was so ready to graduate.

Some things I've learned in my 23 years of life:

To survive in this world you have to accept yourself for who you are and not want to be anyone else. No matter how happy people look on the outside they have problems. Usually the happier they look the worse their problems are. If you accept yourself, then you will be happy. Be grateful for what you have. Also be mindful, enjoy every moment of your life because you never know when it will be gone. You never know what you have until it's not there anymore. Just be confident of yourself. Don't worry about what other people think, do what makes you happy. I know, very cheesy, but it's the truth. And you know all the sh!t you go through? Well that makes you appreciate all the good things that happen to you.