Kate Stover, FCRH ’28, is a native of Columbia, South Carolina. A dedicated student from the honors program, she made her first year at Fordham University, and in the northeast, one to remember.
Coming to New York City for school was always a dream for Stover. Luckily, it was a dream come true. “I only went to New York one time before I moved here. I also never toured Fordham or any other school in New York, I just kind of showed up blindly,” she said. “I wanted the opportunity of living in a larger urban environment and being able to meet more people. It seemed like if I was going to take the leap into adult life, it might as well be somewhere as wonderful as this.”
As an economics and humanitarian studies double major, Stover demonstrates a fierce desire to help people above all else in her future career. Her bubbly personality, creativity and hardworking initiative allows her to succeed in her many endeavors, especially when it comes to interacting with others.
At Fordham, Stover is very involved in student life on campus. She is an editor for the Fordham Political Review, a tour guide and a member of the debate team, participating in tournaments on some weekends. As for her more creative side, she submits original photography and writing to the Ampersand literary magazine. At the beginning of the spring semester, she was accepted into the Black Sheep poetry group, an umbrella group of Fordham Experimental Theater (FET), where poets can share their work with an audience.
Stover is also a leader within the honors community as a co-leader of the Outreach and Recruitment committee within the Student Activities Council (SAC). “We put on programming to try to reach out to mostly high school seniors who are applying to or have applied to Fordham, and getting them to understand the honors program before they make a decision on whether or not to commit,” said Stover. They also host events for incoming honors students. For example, the committee provides the First Year Picnic during the spring semester and a presentation at Spring Preview for admitted students. Other committees within SAC take on other aspects of student life, such as planning events for current students.
As for off-campus, this past school year, Stover worked at Milk Bar in Manhattan, as well as tutoring young students in reading skills. She will be continuing with the tutoring this fall semester, this time in math skills.
Despite her busy schedule, Stover still makes plenty of time to have fun with her friends. “I think I incorporate a lot of social time into things I have to do anyway, like I have to eat, so I eat with other people,” she said. “Or, I have to do my homework, and I hate doing my homework alone, so I do it in rooms with other people.” She is also a big fan of hanging out at the Applebee’s right outside the Third/Webster Avenue Gate on the weekends — especially when there are half-priced appetizers after 10 p.m. Clubs are also an important aspect of Stover’s social life, as they form communities that are separate from academic life. “I think it’s just about balance and finding ways to spend time with people. Errands and everyday life activities can also be social,” she said.
This past summer, Stover stayed on campus to be a student worker in the Office of Admissions, which she will be continuing throughout the school year. In her free time, she volunteered at Part of The Solution (POTS), — a local non-profit organization in the Bronx that helps fight poverty and hunger in low-income families and individuals. Additionally, she continued working at Milk Bar and expanded her knowledge of all NYC has to offer.
Stover emphasized that her busy schedule is not for everyone, and it is important to take care of yourself first. “I feel like I just have to strike a balance between doing things that fulfill me and doing things that I enjoy, but find more draining,” she said. Finding balance is not something Fordham students have to do alone; campus resources like Counseling and Psychological Services are here to help navigate the craziness of college life. Fordham provides resources such as the Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) for any student mental health needs.
Stover has a bright future here at Fordham and beyond, boosted by her dedication to everything she sets her mind to. You can find her running around campus with big plans and always a smile.
