Columbia Heights, Minnesota
By Zamzam Ahmed, iLander Staff Reporter
For CHHS senior Janet Fernandez, St. Catherine University in St. Paul has been her college of choice since sophomore year. After visiting it for the first time a couple years ago, Fernandez fell in love with the beautiful campus and the sisterhood feeling of all the women who enrolled there.
St. Catherine University (AKA “St. Kate’s”) is a women-only private college with about 4,000 undergraduate students. It offers the perks of a small liberal arts college in a big city setting. According to the school’s website, St. Kate’s is the largest all-women college in the United States. The school does admit men for its masters programs, though.
“I’ve always wanted to go to an all-girls college,” Fernandez said. “I feel like it will take away some of the stress of college by removing the distraction of guys.”
For many students at St. Kate’s, that environment was one of the biggest perks.
“St. Kate’s is also only a half-an-hour from my family, so it will be easy to visit them over the weekends and on breaks,” Fernandez said.
Being away from family has been Fernandez’s biggest concern, but going to St. Kate’s allows her to still live on campus and know family is near. St. Kate’s most popular major is health. This means it's a great place for Fernandez, who hopes to gain a degree in nursing and work in the Twin Cities after graduating.
“Living in a dorm is what I’m looking forward to the most. I’ve never shared a room with anyone, and the roommate experience is a big part of college life,” Fernandez said.
For Fernandez, the next four years will offer both challenges and fun. Now all her efforts can be focused on decorating her dorm and living out her dreams of becoming a nurse.
(Photo: Janet Fernandez will attend St. Kate's for college. Photo by Zamzam Ahmed.)