Always a “free-spirited and outgoing soul,” according to her brother, Kate Guajardo narrowed down her career path by doing what truly called her: studying communication.
Kate Guajardo reviewing her old designs
Kate Guajardo delved into media and communication at 14 years old when she took journalism as a high school freshman at Ursuline Academy of Dallas. She was most passionate about particular aspects of the course related to design and creative choices. This led her to join the school yearbook staff when the opportunity arose the following school year.
During her sophomore and junior years of high school, Kate Guajardo busied herself with work from the yearbook as much as she could. She prided herself in presenting design and formatting suggestions every chance she got during the yearbook meetings.
“The moderators saw how much work I was trying to put in. So, when my last year rolled around and I had seniority, I was tasked as lead editor,” Kate Guajardo said.
As a senior and lead editor, Kate Guajardo spear-headed the yearbook staff.
“I had to figure out the order of the book and create the design layouts for most of the pages,” Kate Guajardo said.
Her lead role in the yearbook came at a pivotal time in her life. She was nearing the end of her high school career and preparing for the start of college along with her twin brother, Jake.
“I sat down once with my brother and reflected on what I wanted to do. It all brought me back to how empowered I was by the responsibility I had editing yearbook.,” Kate Guajardo said. Her fondness for the yearbook and the skills she learned from leading it fostered a desire for her to major in communication. Sometimes though, external stimuli would leave doubts in her mind.
“We have some mutual friends who tried to push Kate toward something more familiar to them. They were skeptical of the field of communication, I guess, which I think made her doubt (her choice) a bit,” said Kate’s twin brother Jake Guajardo, “I’m personally into computer science and automotive mechanics, but I’ve always been supportive of my sister.”
Even with advice to turn elsewhere, Kate Guajardo’s optimism and trust in herself ultimately prevailed when she chose to major in communication. Occasionally, she talks candidly with friends about what she might want to do with her degree and about her communication interests.
“She’s really into the creative media aspects of communication,” said Kate Guajardo’s roommate, Boyana Sceckic, “Although she doesn’t like to write, she’s outgoing, so she likes public relations too.” The two roommates and close friends converse occasionally about where they see themselves in the future; Sceckic shares about her aspirations in occupational therapy while Kate Guajardo is excited about where design and communications take her. At 19 years old, Kate Guajardo has a lot of time to figure out where her skills might lead her.
This semester, Kate is in journalism class again, just like she was her in freshman year of high school, where the seeds of passion originally manifested and the journey began.
Kate Guajardo , 19-year-old from Dallas, studying communication at Saint
Louis University
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