Every year, the Danforth Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis carefully selects 15 students from a competitive pool of thousands of applicants. We’re thrilled that Kate Koschnick ’20 has been chosen!

 

The Danforth Scholars are part of several community service projects around St. Louis, and the architecture school regularly supports community initiatives. Kate is eager to engage with the community in the Gateway to the West as she pursues her major in architecture.

 

During her senior year at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Kate was president of the Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science club, played violin in the leading orchestra, and maintained a 4.35 GPA. She’s also a member of the National Honor Society, an Ignition Scholar, and a recipient of the Brebeuf Jesuit Merit Scholarship.

 

Kate’s commitment to community involvement and leadership extends beyond the classroom. She volunteers with the Special Olympics/Eunice Kennedy Shriver Games and shares her passion for dance at the Indianapolis School of Ballet. She also teaches ballet to children with Down syndrome at Gigi’s Playhouse and founded the Indianapolis Student Art Leadership Team, which unites young artists across the city for community initiatives and creative projects.

 

From the age of three, I grew up in the halls and woods of The Orchard School and was surrounded by the values of kindness, service to others, intellectual curiosity, and diversity. My teachers embodied these values when they interacted with me and with each other. I developed my own values in the fabric of the Orchard environment where I felt supported, loved, included, and free to pursue the intellectual endeavors that were fulfilling to me. I began with Mrs. Caitlin Arnold, Mrs. Melissa Lapworth-Kiehl, and Mrs. Jody Baker in the nurturing Preschool years and was further nurtured by Mrs. Jan Gould, Mrs. Gretchen Bricker, and Mrs. Amanda Land in the lower grades. I really grew in independence through the encouragement of my Middle School teachers and advisors Ms. Allison Housefield, Ms. Reegan Homburg, Mrs. Angie Brothers, Mrs. Erica Christie, and Mrs. Deb Brown. I consider all of these teachers my friends and mentors who loved me and are still part of my life. I am grateful every day that my parents sent me to Orchard and allowed me to develop in a place that respected and nurtured me.

 

The Danforth Scholars Program gives me the opportunity to engage in leadership activities rooted in the St. Louis community. Community service projects through the program will give me the opportunity to see how architecture and urban planning can foster belonging and allow a neighborhood to flourish. As an architect, I want to create classical structures deeply rooted in the history of a community that instills a sense of belonging for everyone. The communities I grew up in, including Orchard and Brebeuf, have given me much more than shelter and warmth. When I return home from college, I want to know that I have learned to create this same experience for those who need it the most.

 

I have countless memories of teachers supporting, encouraging, and loving me through my childhood. I always felt at home at Orchard. It’s hard to choose a specific memory but going canoeing with the fifth grade team is one of my favorite days. That year, I felt like the teachers and students joined together in a great collaboration of learning and creating a joyful community. I learned so much that year about life, positivity, and joy from the whole fifth grade team, especially Allison Housefield, Matt Frangelo, and Reegan Homburg.


Josie Killian, Kate Koschnick, and former fifth grade teacher (now seventh/eighth learning support) Allison Housefield get ready to hit the water in their canoe.

My favorite memories are of running and playing in the woods during recess. I cherish these times with my friends and am grateful that Orchard gave me the opportunity to be in nature and to be a child. I felt completely prepared for high school, and I had the gift of a childhood full of fun and natural curiosity. I learned everything I needed to know in a creative and interesting learning environment. My Orchard experience gave me the confidence I needed to pursue new areas of interest knowing that I will understand the information eventually if I engage with people with curiosity and kindness.

FUN FACT:
Did you know...in the winter of 2018, Kate Koschnick performed in the Indianapolis Ballet’s version of “The Nutcracker” with six other Orchard students and two alumni?