Kathryn “Katie” Kraemer, ’18, chose to major in hospitality management because she always wanted to be an events coordinator. She took advantage of every opportunity the program provided.
“When I was in college, I had an internship with the UL Lafayette Student Union under their event coordinator for three years,” she said. “I also had an internship in Washington, D.C., working to put on the National Memorial Day Concert and the National 4th of July Concert.
“Once I graduated, I moved to Dallas where I started working for Southern Methodist University as an events coordinator,” she said. “Eventually, a position opened with UL Lafayette to be a special event coordinator with the Alumni Center.”
Katie was the Alumni Center’s special events coordinator for over a year. She focused on the special events for development, which revolve around donors and cultivation.
“I [did] everything from meeting with the college and development officers to discuss what kind of event they want[ed], to executing the event,” she said. “I [did] event logistics, registration, catering, floral, design, and more.”
UL Lafayette prepared Katie for her field with program features like the “Lunch Club” and small class sizes.
“I got to know all of my classmates and teachers on a personal level, which allowed me to get more involved with the classwork,” she said.
Katie was also active in multiple clubs. She was the vice president of Young Life and she was a residential assistant with the Residence Hall Association. She was also involved with the University Program Council and the Association of Future Alumni.
“These different clubs and organizations helped me to feel like I had a purpose on campus,” she said. “That it wasn’t just about grades or classes but about a community. I really wanted to help push the University forward for the student after me.”