Kate Seymour
Major
Chemical Engineering/Chemistry
Award
Outstanding Senior Award (CHEN)
Post-graduation plans
Summer travel to NorwayÌý
Pursuing a Materials Science and Engineering PhD at the University of Colorado Boulder
Why did you receive this award?
What moves me most deeply is that this recognition extends beyond grades and GPA to encompass the qualities I strive to embody every day: integrity, perseverance,and care for those around me. To be seen not just for what I have accomplished, but for how I have approached my work is truly humbling. This nomination validates that my unconventional connections between disciplines contribute meaningful value and that my character, attitude and judgment resonates with those who know my work best.Ìý
Surviving a school shooting in eighth grade fundamentally shaped how I move through the world. That day taught me that resilience is not just about persisting through difficulty, it is about transforming trauma into purpose and using your own strength to help others navigate their challenges. Being recognized for qualities like cooperative ability and support of others validates that I have honored the memory of the classmate we lost by becoming someone who lifts others up and maintains optimism even when circumstances are difficult. This recognition motivates me to continue the work I find most meaningful: bridging disciplines, mentoring students and building their scientific identities, and pursuing research that serves both scientific advancement and societal impact. It reminds me that the time my parents and mentors invested in me carries profound responsibility: to show my gratitude with continued hard work and dedication, to create opportunities for others, and to approach every interaction with kindness and professionalism. I am deeply grateful to be seen in this light.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Finishing a dual degree in chemical engineering and chemistry while staying genuinely connected to the people around me. The GPA matters to me, but what I am most proud of is that I did not disappear into the work. I stayed present with my classmates. I kept showing up for the people in my life. I found my faith. I tried to honor the professors and coworkers who invested in me through my hard work and commitment. I stayed curious about things beyond my engineering and chemistry coursework.
At times, it would have been easier to avoid the harder, messier parts of being a person: relationships, faith, vulnerability and showing up for others when it was inconvenient. I did not always get it right, but I learned more from trying to hold both things together than I ever could have from the coursework alone. Looking back, I did not have to sacrifice the things that made me feel human to succeed academically, and that is what I am most proud of.
What was the biggest challenge for you during your engineering education?
Pursuing two rigorous degrees simultaneously meant I was constantly in the position of feeling behind in one discipline while catching up in another. The hardest part was not the coursework itself. It was learning to trust that the discomfort of not knowing something yet was not the same as being incapable of knowing it. I had to get comfortable being a beginner over and over again: in chemistry labs, in engineering design courses, in research, in new friend groups, and in other areas of my life entirely. What I learned is that being a beginner is not a weakness. It is just the starting point. The question is whether you are willing to stay in the room long enough to stop being one. I also learned that I am an engineer, and that being an engineer means I am capable of learning to do anything I apply myself to.
What are some interesting things about you that others might not know?
I competed on the U.S. Ice Climbing team before college, and during my freshman and sophomore years, I competed with the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ climbing team, which was one of the ways I found my footing early on. By junior year, I had become deeply involved with my campus church community, which turned out to be one of the most formative parts of my undergraduate experience and the place where I found my faith and the peace that comes with it.
I spent 14 months between my sophomore and senior years working at Eli Lilly as an analytical chemistry contractor. It was one of the most valuable and unexpected parts of my education. I gained industry experience and confidence, but I also gained coworkers who became genuine friends and some of my biggest champions throughout my senior year, cheering me on through graduate school applications, campus visits, and program decisions, and going to bat for me with fellowship recommendations.Ìý
Outside of school and work, my happy place is outside. I love hiking 14ers, paddleboarding and camping. If I am not in a lab or a classroom, I am probably in the mountains.
Tell us about a moment when you felt like you were "officially" an engineer.
During my time at Eli Lilly, I was working on the design and build of an IR-Maldesi instrument and we hit a problem: the machine needed a sliding shelf, but the proposed solution was not going to work in the physical space available. I stepped back, looked at the constraints, and came up with what I called a Trojan horse design, two stacked boxes that met the equipment needs while also allowing a stage to slide underneath, optimizing the space in a way the original plan had not considered. In the process, I also modified design geometries, did electrical work and taught myself Arduino programming, none of which came from my chemistry or chemical engineering coursework.
That was the moment it clicked. Engineering is not a subject you study; it is a way of approaching a problem. I walked into a situation outside my wheelhouse and had to start from the beginning and work my way through. I learned that failure is information. I also learned something harder: that being young, being a woman, being the one assumed not to know enough, does not mean you do not have the answer. Sometimes it means you are the one most capable of looking at the problem differently.
What is your favorite memory from your time at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ?
Growing up, Saturday mornings meant watching College GameDay with my parents and cheering for our respective programs. So getting swept up in that experience at my own alma mater during Coach Prime's first season was pure joy. I traveled to Fort Worth for the opener and waved a giant CU flag on Big Noon Kickoff as Colorado shocked Texas Christian University. The following week, I was back at Folsom Field for the Nebraska game, where I won best sign on Big Noon. Then came the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and College GameDay's first visit to Boulder since 1996, where I got a photo with Desmond Howard, a former professional football player and current sports analyst. It's a fall I'll never forget.
What is your best piece of advice for other students?
Say "yes" to the opportunity you feel underqualified for. Email the professor whose research sounds intimidating. Apply for the internship you assume you won't get. Volunteer for the project that pushes you outside your comfort zone. Most of the meaningful opportunities I've had at CU started with me deciding to try. The worst thing that happens is someone says "no," which is exactly where you started. The people who seem to have it all figured out aren't more qualified than you; they just took the first step and asked.