Catherine Seman ’16 reflects on her experience at URI… as a campus leader, athlete and as an active volunteer.

Major: Global Business Management
Hometown: Cranberry Township, PA

Whether on the volleyball court or in the classroom, recent graduate Catherine Seman’s performance at URI provided a spectacular footing for her global career. In fact, soon after commencement, the summa cum laude graduate joined Mondelez International in Cincinnati, one of the world’s largest snack companies.

But in addition to her academic excellence, what stood out most about Seman though her college years, was her dedication to helping others.

As a URI freshman, Seman traveled to New Orleans to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. She also participated in a Habitat for Humanity 5K fundraiser and Habitat’s “all-woman” build. Last summer, she led a four-week immersion program for exchange students from Taiwan, helping them adapt to the American culture. As their resident advisor, Seman helped them with their studies, provided cultural and social programming, and acted as a guide for weekend excursions.

In addition to her work with Taiwanese exchange students, Seman traveled to Italy and participated in a two-week sustainable agriculture program with a small group of students. “We learned about sustainable farming practices and the seasonable food cultures of the Campania region,” said Seman. “We engaged in hands on learning through farm stays, fishing, cooking and food festivals.”

Seman showed similar commitment in her athletic career at URI, even though a concussion made her miss some of her senior season. “Our athletic community has always been so supportive of my pursuits athletically, academically, and professionally,” she said.

As a result, Catherine helped create three lasting student organizations: the RAM Project for student-athletes facing personal challenges related to their athletic careers; Injured Athletes Anonymous, a support group for injured student-athletes; and URI’s Legacy Dinner, an event that connects current athletes with former URI athletes working in their respective fields of study.