Kaite Cisz ’22

young woman with glasses

Kaite Cisz ’22 is a human development major with minors in marine science and education. After graduation, Cisz will be attending the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary to further her studies in fisheries science, specifically in anatomy and genetics.

I hope to one day use my degree in human development from Cornell and my doctoral degree in marine science from VIMS in conjunction to teach young children about our changing oceans.

Katie Cisz

During her time at Cornell, Cisz was a student in the CORALS (Cornell Ocean Research Apprenticeship for Lynch Scholars) program, a teaching assistant for seven courses, and a member of the Kappa Omicron Nu honor society and the Epsilon Eta professional fraternity for sustainability. But her most impactful experience was as a scholar in the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement.

“In the fourth and final semester of the program, the work with Dr. Tony Burrow and our 4-H partners to facilitate and build an evaluation tool for the anti-racism program Act for Change has been extremely meaningful,” Cisz said. Not only was this scholarship program pivotal in my own development, as I diverged on a less traditional human development track, but the hands-on work we did in Ulster County has left a lasting impression on the impact of translational research and community partnership.”

The Northport, New York, native said the College of Human Ecology will always hold a special place in her heart.

“From the caring individuals that make up the college’s positive environment to the fascinating and applicable courses offered, the past four years have been filled with much knowledge and growth that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”