Kadin Cathey

First generation student Kadin Cathey has jumped headfirst into earning a degree in communication studies, despite being skeptical about what might unfold. The interpersonal and co-cultural communication courses he took sparked his curiosity and led to his involvement in the Research in Interpersonal Communication Collaborative, or RICC. In his first semester with RICC he helped a graduate student develop and facilitate a lab that aided her research on the importance of laughter. Then he learned to transcribe support group meetings for people with dementia and their caretakers. This firsthand research experience with communication practice and theory makes him feel “way more connected” to class content. In fact, his time with RICC also gave him the confidence to investigate something he never would have imagined without coming to CSU: research on media, gender, and his lifelong passion of skateboarding.

“You have to go to college for you. You can’t, can’t just go through the motions. You really have to engage yourself. You have to try something new.” – Kadin Cathey