Pioneer PROfiles - Katelyn James

Katelyn James (Buffalo, NY) continued her families tradition of attending Alfred State but it was not until she got involved that she found her extended family at the college.

Katelyn grew up surrounded by the Alfred State atmosphere from her many visits to see her brothers. “I just loved it here. I continued the family legacy.”

Watch Katelyn's Pioneer PROfile video

While doing a job search in high school, she found her dream job working for the FBI as a forensic accountant. “It really piqued my interest. In high school, I loved math, numbers, and problem solving so I came to Alfred State to obtain my associate degree in accounting. I really loved the atmosphere and continued my education in business administration.”

She is very appreciative of the relationships she has with her professors. “My professors are super supportive. They are there to help me if I have a problem with anything. If I have trouble getting into an assignment or understanding something they are here to help me through it all and guide me.”

Katelyn’s college experience changed when she found her Alfred family starting in her second semester. “I got a resident assistant job and had to work on the weekends. I started to break out of my shell when I became a tour guide in the admissions office. I kind of fully developed who I wanted to be. From there I broke out and was super outgoing and made a lot more friends.”

On top of her RA position and her tour guide job, she connected and joined a sorority, Alpha Beta Chi to increase her family. “There are so many opportunities with the Greek community.”

“Everybody on campus cares about you. You are not just a number here. They want you to succeed in everything that you do. The whole community is truly a big family. That is why I love it here.”

Katelyn’s Alfred State degrees are adding up to a positive future.