Katie Amig

Like the Peanuts gang’s Lucy with her five-cent booth, Katie Amig is often the person her friends come to for comfort and advice. Fortunately for them, she’s not a bully like Lucy, possessing instead a warm and engaging personality. And after taking a psychology class in high school, Katie knew that she wanted to pursue a counseling career. “It seemed like the right fit.”

Geneva College’s former head girls’ basketball coach Renee Drake is a distant relative, so Katie decided to travel from her home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to visit Geneva when she was looking at colleges. Katie was impressed with the beauty of the campus and the warm welcome she received. “People were enthusiastic and friendly. They took an interest in me and didn’t treat me as just another ‘prospective student.’” After discussions with her youth leader and her mom, Katie felt that Geneva was the place where she belonged.

Katie says that she grew a lot during her freshman year at Geneva. She ambitiously started out with a double major in psychology and human services with a minor in Spanish. After realizing the magnitude of the coursework, she decided instead to focus on psychology and minor in human services.

Now a junior, Katie is serving her second year as a Resident Assistant (RA) in McKee Residence Hall. She says that she enjoys this role because it allows her to use her empathy and understanding to mentor the girls that she lives with. “I love being involved in the lives of these girls and developing relationships with them,” she says.

Katie has also received mentoring of her own, and she is especially grateful for what she has learned from Professor John Gallo in his Lifespan class. “He wants to be so involved in his student’s lives, not only in class but in their personal lives. He has taught me how to apply my faith to my life. If you have a chance to take a class with him, you definitely should,” she says.

When she isn’t hard at work, Katie loves the events that Geneva has to offer. She even gets to help with the planning of some of them, such as the hoedown in September, for all of the residence halls. “The hoedown was the highlight of my year. There was a lot of laughing as we learned the line dances. It was a great example of community and I loved it.”

Katie also enjoys attending MGN and open mic nights. “It’s nice to see Geneva students express their musical talents in a personal setting,” she says.

To unwind, Katie enjoys reading, photography, and taking walks. “A good walk and a camera are all I need to be happy—and Disney movies,” she adds.

Although Katie feels certain that God has called her into the counseling profession, she’s not yet sure where she is going to set up her own “psychiatric help” booth. “I love working with college and high school students. I want to serve people. I don’t know where yet, I just want to serve.”

-Richard Louther ’15

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