Her toughest match yet: Saving the planet

When you first meet Katherine Almquist ’24 and learn about her accomplishments and future plans, it’s almost tempting to shake your head in disbelief and think she’s just too good to be true.

Not only is she co-captain of Skidmore’s tennis team, she has already engaged in a 各种令人印象深刻的科研经历，包括今年夏天的工作 at renown ecological center Harvard Forest.

Once you get to know her, however, you realize that what’s truly special about this 火博体育学生运动员是她的动力，职业道德，成长心态， vision, and kindness. 她是个鼓舞人心的人，不仅仅是因为她的履历，而且 for what she brings to the tennis court, the science lab, and her campus connections, day in and day out.

I have no idea exactly what lies ahead. But I do know where I want to go. I am on a mission to bring people together to save the planet, and that goal guides me forward through the unknown every day.

Katherine Almquist ’24 via LinkedIn

As long as it takes…
It was her “toughest match of the season.” On a Saturday in April on court No. 4 in 威尔顿基督教青年会(火博体育的主场) McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center is complete), Almquist 和阿默斯特学院的大四学生卡莉斯塔打了一场势均力敌的网球单打 Sha. 阿默斯特大学女队在第三赛区排名第七，险胜 miss the national semifinals.

In the end, after two and one-half hours of intense hitting and long points, Almquist came up short in the third set tiebreaker. Nevertheless, she was pleased. In the weeks leading up to the match, she says, “I committed to executing my goal in practice of hitting every single ball in with spin, except for serves and volleys, even if I wanted to flatten them out — to stay in and fight for every single point, as long as it took.”

“This commitment helped me work through my urge to bail out at times when I was tired 克服这种心理障碍，变得更加一致. I stayed focused for almost the entirety of the Amherst match. In terms of making important mental progress in my game, I am really happy.”

Katherine could be down five games to one, but she has the mental discipline to tell 对她自己来说，我需要继续努力竞争，努力找到一条出路.’ She’s really good 适应形势，尝试战术方法，看看会发生什么 works.

Curt Speerschneider, Head Women’s Tennis Coach

Fungi and plant health…
But tennis isn’t Almquist’s only passion.

This summer, the environmental science major, who also minors in international affairs and Spanish, is a research intern at Harvard Forest, Harvard’s world-class, 马萨诸塞州中部4000英亩的生态研究中心. The experience connects undergrads to mentors and researchers in the pursuit of scientific inquiry. It’s a great fit with Almquist’s plan to pursue a J.D.-Ph.D. program and a career in law and environmental science. 

Almquist is eager to use the “extensive research, teamwork, and problem-solving skills gained at Skidmore” to contribute to the Harvard Forest REU subproject on dual mycorrhizal colonization.

菌根是与植物根部形成共生关系的真菌. 她说它们对我们的自然生态系统至关重要，因为超过80%的植物 depend on them for nutrient and water uptake which help drive global patterns, especially nutrient cycles. 这项研究的目的是确定双重殖民化的优势 in preventing nitrogen and phosphorous limitation — the two primary nutrient forms plants need to survive.

“The internship is quite intense,” Almquist said. “But it is challenging me and expanding my brain in ways I never expected. 我喜欢成长和学习的机会，但我不能 be more excited to be here.”

凯瑟琳有积极的态度和追求远大目标的能力. Nothing 在她的道路上，她总是带着真诚的热情向前迈进.

Kurt Smemo，环境研究与科学副教授

Climate change data & solutions…
Almquist grew up in southwestern Michigan’s Union Pier Township, a stone’s throw from 他是一位自然世界的敏锐观察者. In her middle school years — she and her twin brother were homeschooled — Almquist began noticing that the lake wasn’t always freezing over as it usually did and later that the presence of algae in the lake was becoming problematic.

“As long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in and concerned about water pollution and the importance of Lake Michigan,” she says.

在火博体育大学一年后的夏天，阿尔姆奎斯特担任了一名 附近赤卡明镇的可持续发展实习生 侧重于衡量公众对环境可持续发展的认识和支持 changes, such as a ban on hard armoring along the township’s 7-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline. 硬装甲包括建造舱壁，海堤和 堤防，一直是保护海岸线的传统方法.

第二年夏天，我加入了化学教授Juan Navea的团队 Laboratory of Atmospheric Physical Chemistry at Skidmore 并培养了进行实验和处理复杂研究的技能 questions, Almquist landed an internship with Penn State’s Drawdown Scholars Program, whose mission is to clarify a positive solutions-oriented path for action on global climate change.

Almquist worked in an electrical engineering lab helping to design an antenna to determine 通过追踪蜜蜂的飞行模式来研究气候变化对蜜蜂的影响. Each 她说，商业养蜂人每年都因农药遭受重大损失 以及对粮食生产产生负面影响的肥料. The project helps identify 电力、食品、农业和土地利用领域的解决方案.

I used to get stressed that I didn't have all of the answers to solve environmental 问题，但我不应该知道所有的答案，没人知道. Through #community，我正在学习不同的途径和方向，我可以发挥我的兴趣和 expanding my brain to see all the angles.

Katherine Almquist ’24 on LinkedIn

Absolute boss girl…
在2022-23赛季的网球比赛中，阿尔姆奎斯特通常是在第1位. 3 or No. 4 singles, which is noteworthy because in 2021-22 Coach Curt Speerschneider slotted the then-sophomore at No. 当这位顶级球员决定出国留学一年的时候.

“Katherine is so adaptable to different situations, so versatile, so positive with 她自己也知道，在我看来，她是No的自然选择. 1,” Speerschneider said.

“我输了很多，但教练信任我，我也信任这个过程. I told myself, '我知道我能做到'我对瓦萨尔的一场大胜证明了我是正确的 end of the spring season,” Almquist said.

In that match, the Brewers’ Tatum Blalock won the first set 6-3, but Almquist stormed back to take the final sets 6-2 and 6-3.  

Fittingly, Almquist was chosen to serve as a tri-captain in 2022-23 along with two seniors. Speerschneider says the role “shows the respect I gave her as a leader. She’s the type of person who only comes around once in a while. She’s exceptional.”

Her leadership is not lost on her teammates.

“我喜欢凯瑟琳用智慧的话语激励我们实现个人目标的方式 and team goals. 她非常理解和支持团队中的每一个成员. Her energy shines through on and off the court,” said teammate Konika Dhull ’25, an All-Liberty League Singles honoree from India. “She is an absolute boss girl.”

Ella Provost ’25 of Hamilton, Massachusetts, adds: “Katherine’s excitement for tennis is contagious and inspires the entire team! Before I came to Skidmore, she was the first to reach out and check in, and she continues to create a welcoming environment with current underclassmen. 她是一个可靠的队友、忠诚的朋友和善良的人.”

It’s one thing to be chosen as a leader, it’s another to raise your hand and choose to lead. Last year, Almquist joined Skidmore Athletic Advisory Committee’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) subcommittee.

This April, thanks in part to Almquist’s efforts, the Athletics Department sponsored a live panel event in the Zankel Music Center: "经验很重要:火博体育LGBTQ+社区积极盟友的对话." Students, coaches, alumni, and faculty came together to learn about how to be active LGBTQ+社区的盟友，并确认他们的支持.

For Almquist, the work was more than just doing the right thing, it was a personal challenge.

“For starters, I had to address my own internalized homophobia, which comes from societal norms,” she said. “学生和教授都告诉我，小组讨论很有帮助 但在内心深处，我知道这只是表面现象. There’s more to do, and I hope to accomplish more my senior year.”

在你的生命中，总有那么一个时刻，是时候挺身而出，成为你一直以来的领导者了 been training to be your whole life. … For me, that day is today! I didn't know it 但我知道它就在这里，这就是我选择100%回应的方式. 

Katherine Almquist ’24 on LinkedIn

The tennis season is never over…
The 2022-23 Skidmore women's tennis team made the most of its 16th straight NCAA III 在第二轮以5比1击败德鲁大学. (Almquist won her match 6-0, 6-0.) Unfortunately, No. 4 Middlebury prevailed in the regional final. The No. 28匹纯种马以13胜8负的战绩结束比赛，这是他们连续第12场比赛 Liberty League championship.

“While it was a bittersweet end, I couldn't be prouder of our team and the progress I made as a player and person this season,” said Almquist, who was unable to finish 她与米德尔伯里的个人比赛(她以6比4和1比0落后). “But I was competing hard. 我不知道结果会怎样，但它教会了我很多，我 excited to start getting ready for the fall."

“It might seem early to start thinking about what is coming next when the season just 结束了，但开始规划长期目标永远不会太早.”

Over the course of her Skidmore career, Almquist has been named All-Liberty League First Team Singles once and Second Team Singles twice, in addition to earning a spot on the Women's Tennis All-Academic Team. Her first year, she was 7-2 in singles matches and won all three of her doubles matches. As a sophomore, she advanced to the ITA Northeast Regional singles semifinals. This year, she finished at 11-7, primarily at number three singles.

No doubt, there’s more to come.

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Interested in joining Katherine’s mission to “bring people together to save the planet”? Follow her on LinkedIn.