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As an academic coordinator for student-athletes, Katharine Lindauer is used to supporting varsity student-athletes as they pursue success on the playing surface and in the classroom, but in the Master’s in Higher Education program, Lindauer is the student, learner, and supporter for classmates.

Lindauer enrolled in the School of Education program to grow as an individual and professional, and she experienced that and more.

“I'm so appreciative of the opportunity to attend school while working full-time, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from my classmates and the faculty,” she said. “It may sound cliché, but I strongly believe that I am a better human and professional due to my time in the Master’s in Higher Education program.”

Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree from CU ������ý���� in 2013, Lindauer has served various roles in the Herbst Academic Center for CU ������ý���� varsity student-athletes, including academic assistant, tutor coordinator, academic mentor, and learning facilitator, before taking on her current role as academic coordinator. As a higher education student, she has developed a new lens for her work, and her studies gave her an opportunity to examine her own educational experiences, conduct research that’s integral to her position, and write an advising philosophy, which she uses today in her work with student-athletes. An early class reading of Inside Higher Ed even led to her ongoing penchant for reading the publication and passing along readings to family and friends.��

Lindauer is known for her generous and encouraging presence for classmates in the Higher Education program. In particular, she completed her degree during the beginning of the pandemic, in its earliest and most uncertain moments. Nonetheless, she offered grace and compassion to herself and others, giving her time to support other students as a peer reviewer, friend, and colleague. The human qualities of care, generosity and warmth, her sharp work as a scholar, and her thoughtful work with student-athletes led the education faculty to select her as the 2021 Outstanding Graduate for the program.

Her professors were particularly impressed with her capstone project, which reviewed the research on student advising—especially the trend towards “proactive” advising models—with a critical eye. She analyzed this shift in advising practice and raised incisive questions about power and control for student-athletes.

“Because of her rigorous analysis and her professional role on campus, her capstone is potentially transformative in terms of improving student-advisor relationships and empowering student-athletes to have more agency and autonomy in their education as they navigate the many demands unique to their roles on campus,” one instructor notes.

Lindauer’s new campus connections from the Higher Education program and her deepening relationships with her students, drive her passion for working in higher education beyond graduation.

“I will continue to lean on what I’ve learned and learn after graduation, and I have a great resource in the education faculty and program,” she said. “Working for CU, I believe we are all here to learn and develop, whether it be a subject or as people.”

Katherine’s advice

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#1) You get out what you put into the program. You learn and grow when you engage in the coursework, readings, and discussions. #2) Use your coursework as an opportunity to dive deeper into your career or other interests. There is quite a bit of flexibility so make it your own! Plus, as an added bonus, writing is easier when you like the topic you're writing about. #3) Stay organized, disciplined, and use your classmates and professors as a support network. I really valued the classmates who I could share ideas with and the professors who were always willing to give me feedback."

What graduation means to you

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It is validating to know that all the hard work and evenings spent in class or on Zoom have paid off. It may sound cliché, but I strongly believe that I am a better human and professional due to my time in the Master’s in Higher Education program."