September 25, 2019

Student Stories: Catarina Ratajczak

Catarina Ratajczak

Gig Harbor, WA
B.A., Community, Environment & Planning

Year awarded 2019

My advisor, Megan Herzog, nominated me. I was honored, and thought it would be worth a shot to apply! Husky 100 means that my work is not overlooked, but rather seen. It reminds me that the UW cares about me achieving my goals, and that is exciting. It also reminds me that what I do matters, and that opportunities are everywhere. More than anything, it shows me all of the amazing passions and projects other Husky 100 have, and that gives me hope for the future!

I embody the “Connecting the Dots” criterion, as I try to relate my studies and work both to my lived experience and my hope for the future. I come from an agricultural background, and now study Urban Design and Planning. Some may think those things are disparate, but I want to remind people how that is not the case—we are all interrelated, and my work in agriculture has actually made my understanding of even the most technical of topics in my field extremely understandable, relatable, and human! I have also tied my experiences into my work here on campus—through managing the ASUW Student Food Cooperative I work to collaborate with any group on campus, which shows that food permeates all facets of life.