Alumni Spotlight: From Squire to Panther


by Kendall Kohler, Class of 2017

It’s hard to believe my first year at Pitt is already coming to an end. I was nervous to start over in a place much larger and very different from where I grew up, but looking back, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

As a senior at Delone, I knew I was ready for a change. After visiting multiple colleges and universities, my decision came down to the University of Pittsburgh. As cliché as it sounds, it truly felt right.

The day I moved in, Pittsburgh was being hit with a nasty thunderstorm; now I see it as a warning for both the year I was preparing to experience and Pittsburgh’s unpredictable weather. Orientation week followed, and soon enough, classes began to start.

I am going to be brutally honest with you… college isn’t easy. It is a juggling act of homework, essays, studying, sleep, and social life, all while trying to keep an optimistic attitude and have a good time.

As classes really started picking up, I realized that Delone had prepared me in more ways than I imagined. I was able to manage my time efficiently, write a solid essay, and live out my faith through good deeds. Delone had laid the foundation of my education, but it was my turn to build on it.

Aside from classes, a social life does not come naturally. The people I had spent the last twelve years of my life with were no longer faces I would see every day. I had to make an effort to form connections with people that I shared similar interests with. In time, I found great friends that I could not possibly imagine my life without, and I am excited to see where the rest of our college journeys take us.

As my year concludes, I have decided to major in Biological Sciences. I am looking forward to what the next three years here at Pitt hold for me. Delone has prepared me tremendously to both continue my education and be a doer of the word.



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