2/27/24

By FHSU University Communications

HAYS, Kan - Katalina “Kati” Rivera is making the most of her college years. The senior English major plans to finish her academic career at Fort Hays State University next fall with a student teaching internship in her hometown of Salina. Kati is on track to completing the five-year course of study in four-and-a-half years. And thanks to a generous scholarship from the Salina Education Foundation and several FHSU scholarships, she will also graduate debt-free.

So, what are the secrets behind Kati’s success?

“I’d say a challenging academic load, working closely with my professors and academic advisors, and staying engaged with the life of the campus,” Kati said. And she does stay very busy. She represents her fellow students as a Student Government Association Senator; she is a member of the Sigma Tau Delta (National English Honor Society), works as a VIP Ambassador in the office of the university president, and volunteers with campus ministries. She also plays intramural volleyball on her Delta Zeta sorority team.

Kati started working on campus as a Freshman, and today, she works 20 to 25 hours a week for Breathe, an off-campus coffee shop. Not one to rest even when it might seem reasonable for a tired college student, Kati works as a substitute teacher back home in Salina during FHSU academic year breaks.  

This semester, her last full semester on campus, is also the first semester that she is carrying less than 15 credit hours. She planned her academic career this way because she knows that students who commit to a rigorous academic pathway tend to pay less for college overall, maximize the impact of their financial aid, and incur significantly less student debt. 

The one thing Kati looks back on and wishes she could have fit into her college career was a study abroad experience.

“Several College of Education professors lead a trip to Costa Rica I would have loved to join,” Kati said. That said, she’s already looking forward to life after college. One of the conditions of Kati’s Salina Education Foundation scholarship award is a four-year commitment to teach back home in Salina.

“We are a very close family,” Kati said. “So it's always been my plan to launch my career in teaching back in Salina after I finish my student teaching internship.”

Learn more about the benefits of committing to at least 15 credit hours a semester at Complete College America. https://completecollege.org/strategy/15-to-finish/