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Ms. Cathy Fraser (BA 1983)

     Ms. Cathy Fraser (BA, 1983) chose to study English at Waterloo because she had a love for reading and, except for a short time immediately after earning her degree, she never left. Today, she has been working at the university for over 25 years.

     What Cathy appreciated most about being a UW student was that “a lot of professors were concerned for their students.” She remembers Dr. Paul Beam telling her first-year class to make sure they got enough sleep and enough to eat, and a pillow from home to help them sleep better at night. “Words of the wise when writing our first exams in first year,” says Cathy. She also recalls Professor Roman Dubinski as her kindest professor, always willing to listen and constantly encouraging students to discuss essay ideas.  Cathy says the passion and interest that UW professors displayed is something she has adopted in her own career: “If you have a passion for something, and are willing to share it, it comes across…and that’s what I take to my job.”

     Although she enjoyed many of her UW English courses very much, she recalls a class on romantic poets with Dr. Helen Ellis as one of the highlights of her academic career. This was her favorite literary era to study, and Dr. Ellis’ passion in the subject helped keep her engaged. Cathy also remembers being part of the English Society as one of her fondest memories at UW. She recalls spending time with her peers in the English Society office, writing poetry and discussing papers.

     Upon completion of her degree, Cathy worked at a bank and in customs brokerage, before returning to UW’s Alumni Affairs Office, where she works today. She volunteers for The Literacy Group, which, through its volunteers helps to upgrade language and writing skills for adults. As the local economy becomes less focused on manufacturing, she says this program “teaches and trains adults to reach a level to be able to attend college.”

     Her time at Waterloo has given her the confidence to write and communicate well. Working in Alumni Affairs, Cathy has done a great deal of procedural writing for the new software that has been implemented in the office over the past few years, and she has also been instrumental in training people who are new to the department. She says “grounding in the language has helped me in these ways.”