CHHS Spotlights

Adriana Reyes didn’t start her WKU journey as a Communication Disorders major, but fell in love with the field after a day of job shadowing. “When I took an internship class for my previous major, it made me aware that I did not want to continue with this career path. But at the therapy place that I interned at, they had speech therapy. After shadowing a Speech-Language Pathologist, I knew that I wanted to change my major!”

Cassidy Ratterman, a CHHS graduate student, is completing her third and final clinical rotation at Frazier Rehab Institute in Louisville, KY. Working towards her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Ratterman said she chose Frazier because it’s a nationally recognized facility devoted to providing extensive education and experience to students.

Kaitlynn Craig, recent graduate of WKU, remembers being the little girl at WKU games wearing her cheerleader uniform and dreaming of being a Hilltopper. Daughter of alumni Brad and Jenny Craig (’92), Kaitlynn comes from a family with lots of Hilltopper Spirit. 

Treasure Wales, a first-generation student from Louisville earning a degree in Social Work with a minor in African American Studies, applies what she learns at WKU to her current leadership roles on campus. Her advice for fellow students, “Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and do things that you’ve never done before. Be as involved as you can.”

For WKU Interior Design and Fashion Merchandising major Anya Shah, the Hilltopper Spirit means one word, “community.” The thirty-one-year-old, non-traditional student from St. Louis, has made her mark on campus by serving as president of the WKU International Interior Design Association (IIDA), where she has found a community. 

Jaylen Pate, a Cloverport native and first-generation college student, majors in Nursing at WKU. An Army veteran, Pate discovered he’s color-blind while serving in Fort Bragg, North Carolina’s 82^nd Airborne Division as a combat medic and realized something else too – his love for patient care.

“From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to do something where I could use my skill set to help others. This healthcare profession is ever-changing, hands-on, and requires compassion and care,” said Parker Cassady, a WKU senior from Glasgow. 

Madison Duncan, a December 2021 graduate majoring in recreation administration, will leave her mark at WKU. As a Bowling Green native and second-generation Hilltopper, Duncan always knew she wanted to attend the university. Her childhood memories include attending WKU Homecoming parades, football games and basketball games. Proximity to home, and an outstanding degree program for her major, made the decision to become a Hilltopper easy.