Katherine has formulated her own student-initiated major within the communications department: visual storytelling. A photographer and budding filmmaker, she’s studied off campus in the Los Angeles Film Studies Center, a Council for Christian Colleges and Universities program that seeks to integrate a Christian worldview with an exploration of the work and workings of mainstream Hollywood entertainment. On campus, Katherine has been involved with Northwestern’s renowned theatre program and was a discipleship group leader in her residence hall as a sophomore.

Avant-garde
“I’ve always thought of photography as a hobby, but not something I could do as a ‘real job.’ But time flies when I am behind a camera, and I realized that if I want a career I enjoy, it will have to involve a camera. Since coming to Northwestern, I’ve also worked with video cameras, and I fell in love with being able to add motion and sound to my images. I took Film Aesthetics, where we learned about appreciating the story and symbols that movies can give us, and by the time that class ended, I decided on a student-initiated major. It’s the best option for me because there are so many communications classes that I want to take, but they are all electives for the three established majors. I saw that the department has the courses I need and want, all I had to do was combine them into something that works for me.”

Taking direction
“Northwestern’s communications professors have been so encouraging to me. Not only are they really friendly and helpful, but they’ve shown me that Hollywood is not the only place to make movies. Professor Durham released his movie, Prairie Pirates, in local theatres when I was a junior.” (Prairie Pirates has since been honored as the best children’s film at the Creation Arts Festival, a family and Christian film festival.)

Express yourself
“When I visited campus as a high school student, a barefoot student tour guide showed me and my parents around. I loved that and wanted to be part of a place where people are that comfortable and free to express themselves. I haven’t been disappointed. No, it’s not heaven, but this is a place where I have a lot of friends and a lot of trust. And I feel free to run barefoot if I want.”

The rest of the story
“Talking about what else I have gained at Northwestern besides an education is one of those ‘Where do I start?’ things. I have learned so much about myself. I have learned about my limitations, sure, but I’ve also experienced and accomplished things I never thought I’d do. I’ve made friends with people from across the Midwest—and from Japan, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, India, Oman …”