“One must know oneself,” advised the 17th century mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal. “If this does not serve to discover truth, it at least serves as a rule of life and there is nothing better.”
Katherine Weber, the College of Criminology’s Humanitarian for 2006, has applied this wisdom to her life. The key, she says, is to continually ask yourself why you believe what you do.
Katherine knows that she is capable of high academic achievement. She has made the Dean’s List every semester of her attendance, as well as the President’s List and the National Dean’s List. In addition to her major, she is carrying two minors—Business and Psychology—and has completed degrees of concentration in Security Administration, Corrections, and Law Enforcement. She is a member of FSU’s Honors Program, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and has been inducted into four honor societies—Phi Kappa Phi, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership, and the Order of Omega Greek Leadership.
She knows that helping others improve their own lives “makes you not only appreciate what you have, but work harder to keep it.” Through various animal rescue groups, she fosters animals until a loving and permanent home can be found. Through Camp Boggy Creek, she has counseled children with life-threatening diseases. Through the Student Disability Resource Center, she has served as a notetaker and tutor. Through her College, she has advised her fellow undergraduates. Through her sorority, Chi Omega, she has raised over $25,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Through the Refuge House, she has co-sponsored a transitional housing unit for survivors of domestic violence.
At the Jefferson County Correctional Institution, through the ESUBA program (“abuse” spelled backward, representing its turn around), she has helped both male and female offenders understand what abuse is, its devastating effects, and how to prevent it. The experience, says Katherine, “had a great impact on me. I saw dramatic changes in the way the inmates approach situations.”
She knows she wants to study law. In preparation, she has served in several capacities for the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society and the Lambda Alpha Epsilon Criminal Justice Professional Fraternity. She recently completed an internship at the Federal Correctional Institution, and is currently interning at the Criminal Appeals and Victim Advocacy section of the Attorney General.
Katherine has learned the interconnectedness of all things.