Cat grew up in the Chicago suburbs, spending most of her time at Cubs games, dance performances, and on the beach. She discovered her love of Latin at an early age, and this has remained her focus since junior high school. As a Classics major at Harvard University, she spent her junior year abroad in Rome, and continued her experience abroad on a dance internship in Dublin the following summer. Upon graduating, Cat pursued a Master of Studies degree at Wadham College, University of Oxford, where she took up rowing and perfected her baking skills. After a year of teaching ESL at DePaul University and Modern Art History at the Art Institute of Chicago, she arrived at Penn as a PhD student in Classical Studies, and the Director of the Casa Italiana in Gregory. She looks forward to meeting all of the Van Pelt-ers, and all other newcomers, this year!