Seeking Connections

Kathy Ryan

Photo by Carl Socolow '77

Kathy Ryan '84: Coach, Speaker and Author, Pinnacle Coaching Group LLC

Major: History 

What I love most about what I do: When you help people improve their personal and professional lives, their growth has a ripple effect that can lift up the lives of everyone they touch. 

How Dickinson prepared me for what I do: Dickinson awakened in me a passion for the study of human behavior, and I discovered that what I really wanted to do was help people reach their potential. 

How I chose Dickinson: I wanted an intimate college experience, and stepping on campus for the first time was like coming home. 

My favorite place on campus: The gate at the corner of West and High streets—looking back toward Old West could take my breath away some days. 

The accomplishment I was most proud of at Dickinson: Being a peer counselor in the Student Counseling Center—my first taste of real coaching and what it felt like to be able to provide nonjudgmental support to others.

What “seeking connections” means to me: The quality of our lives is determined by our willingness to connect with and learn from others, and I will never stop seeking that connection with people for my own growth and development. 

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Alumni in Action

Published August 30, 2013