Taking Flight

Katie Gimbert '18

Katie Gimbert ’18  

Hometown:

McLean, Va.

Major(s)

Environmental science.

Clubs and organizations:  

Army ROTC and the Peddler.

Honors/scholarships/awards:

Brooke Owens Fellowship program for women in aerospace.

Favorite books:

Tribe by Sebastian Junger, The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe and Fields of Fire by James Webb.

Favorite movie:

I am a diehard Star Wars fan, but Gladiator is a definite second.

Favorite professor:

[Professor of Military Science and] LTC Joe Wyszynski and [Senior Military Instructor and] MSG John Haiduck are two of the most inspirational faculty at Dickinson to me. Many times, they have shown their dedication to not just Dickinson ROTC but to the students as individuals. Whether it was MSG Haiduck on a bike with snacks during the 26.2-mile ruck or LTC Wyszynski getting down in the mud with the cadets during a combat PT, they have both shown me what it means to be a leader.

Favorite place on campus:

The upstairs Quarry is underrated for an early lunch.

Favorite Dining Hall food:

A tie between the Kove’s tofu/fish taco day and Professor Pinsker’s faculty sandwich: beef brisket with honey mustard.

Favorite class/learning experience (and why): 

[Associate Professor of Biology] Carol Loeffler has been one of the most dedicated professors I have encountered at Dickinson. Each week during lab, she drove us to local forest sanctuaries and parks, and she was constantly showing us her immense depth of knowledge and passion for the material. I thoroughly enjoyed her Plant Systematics course to the point where I am a teaching assistant for her this semester.

Proudest accomplishment: 

Being selected to serve as an aviation officer in the U.S. Army following graduation.

As I kid, I wanted to be …

… an astronaut.

On studying abroad:

In fall 2016 I studied in the rainforest of Australia at the School for Field Studies. Every day was a new experience and learning opportunity. On any given day, our teachers would load us up in vans and drive us through the hills, explaining millions of years of geological changes. It is hard to put into words, but we weren’t just learning the material; we were experiencing it. During one trip, we drove three hours into the Outback to a place called Chillagoe, where we went through caverns that were once a coral reef under the ocean. We spent the night in tents and awoke to kangaroos hopping across the horizon.

Little-known hobby/talent:

I have always loved drawing and watercolors, and recently I have become interested in ceramics. As my college career winds down, I have been spending an increasing number of hours in the ceramics studio, working on projects.

If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …   

… Sally Ride.

Post-Dickinson plans:

I was fortunate enough to earn a spot in the Brooke Owens Fellowship, a women-in-aerospace program. As a fellow I will be interning at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation following graduation. In the fall I will be attending U.S. Army flight school at Ft. Rucker, Ala., pursuing a career as a helicopter pilot.

In a perfect world … 

The Earth’s warming climate would be a leading initiative for world leaders.

Biggest influence:

I have been a lifelong lover of books; they have taught me significantly more about the world than people ever have. They have taken me around the solar system and through time.

Most important thing I’ve learned so far:  

The importance of being resilient against all odds. As a college student, find out what you love and don’t let anything stop you from pursuing it.

Read more Student Snapshots.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

 

Published May 9, 2018