Meet a Colleague: Catherine Xia ‘23 Catherine Xia ‘23 serves as an admissions counselor.

W&L News Office
June 26, 2024

Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I started working shortly after graduating in 2023, so I’ve been working as an admissions officer for a year now!

Q. Where is your favorite location on the W&L campus?
I’m completely biased when I say Reid Hall, since I spent so much time there when I was a student studying and attending classes in that building. I also have a soft spot for the second floor of Commons because of the study spaces and the people on that floor.

Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Gilbert, Arizona.

Q. What advice do you have for students?
The best advice I have for students is that college is what you make of it! I know it feels both exciting and a bit intimidating, but just remember that this is a time for you to make the most of the opportunities around you. With that said, balance is key, so don’t forget to take time for yourself and what matters to you.

Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
This might not sound super adventurous, but I went to my first ever concert in my senior year of college! I flew all the way to California to watch ATEEZ, one of my favorite K-pop groups, perform live with my friends and it was so much fun!

Q. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
I love to relax by watching Asian dramas on the weekend! I’ve been watching Asian dramas since I was a kid, and it continues to be a fun way to de-stress for me. I’m currently watching a Korean drama called “Lovely Runner” and I’m thoroughly enjoying it so far. If anyone needs Korean drama recommendations, let me know!

Q. Who most inspires you?
My family – my parents and my older sister are truly my role models. I often tell my sister that everything good about me is because I was inspired by her. I’m that classic younger sibling that calls her parents or her sister about anything I need advice or guidance on. I just had to file taxes for the first time and had many FaceTime calls with my family about it!

Q. What music are you listening to these days?
There are so many songs I have on repeat, but some of my favorites are “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims, “The Hills” by Rachel Chinouriri, “Accendio” by IVE, and “WE KNOW” by ATEEZ.

Q. What is your favorite film of all time?
It’s easily “The Devil Wears Prada” – the cerulean sweater monologue is so iconic.

Q. What is your desert island food?
There is no better or more comforting combination than 鱼粥 (sliced fish congee) and 油条 (deep fried dough sticks).

Q. Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I love card games! Solitaire, gin rummy, spades, hearts, crazy eight, spit, koi-koi (which is played with hanafuda or Japanese playing cards) — you name it, I probably love it! In fact, for my birthday, my sister bought me “Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics” on the Nintendo Switch. I didn’t know that the Nintendo Switch had a similar thing like Spotify Wrapped where it tracks how many hours you’ve played a game, and apparently, I played that game so much that it was the third-most played game on our shared account that year.

Q. What is your secret talent?
I’m pretty decent at hand-lettering! I used to bullet journal every single day in high school and I loved using calligraphy brush pens to make my journal pages more aesthetic.