Senior Highlight: Kathryn Amadahl

In celebration of our college graduates, we reached out to our seniors for a little highlight and feedback from their time at Eastern. Congratulations on getting your degree! And welcome to the Eagle Alumni Family! Go Eags!

What is your major and minor/certificate and what made you choose that major/minor?

My name is Kathryn Amdahl and my degree will be a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance with a minor in Aquatics Management. I chose my degree path due to encouragement from my high school piano teacher; she saw something in me as a musician post-high school and encouraged me to run with it and I did! I chose my minor because I love to swim for fun/exercise and want others to be able to have fun and safely enjoy time in pools. 

What’s one class that wasn’t in your major that you’d recommend?

One class that was not in my major that I would recommend to others are any of the physical education dance classes like latin, swing, or ballroom dance. Those have been so enjoyable and such a fun stress reliever. 

What is your plan after graduation?

My plan after graduating from EWU is to pursue a Masters in Collaborative Piano at Central Washington University in the fall. I am so excited for that opportunity and for the doors that will hopefully open! 

Which faculty member in your program did you connect with the most and why?

The faculty member that I connected with the most was Dr. Jody Graves (she is in my picture). Not only has Dr. Graves been my primary piano professor, but she has been a friend, mentor, encourager, and inspiration. I am the pianist and musician I am today due to her teaching; my time with her means the world to me and she is who I will miss most when I graduate next week. 

What was your favorite place to eat on campus or in Cheney?

When I actually had time to eat (sometimes musicians don’t get the time to eat, haha), I loved going to West Plains Roasters. Not only is their coffee the best on the planet, but their pastries and toast always were amazing. Highly recommend their poptarts and avocado toast!