Kaitlyn Doolittle
Lifestyle: Traditional, residential
Major: Chemistry
When asked to describe her first reaction to the Corps of Cadets when she arrived on campus in 2006, sophomore Kaitlyn Doolittle said the experience was interesting. Raised in Westfield, Mass. and attending Norwich as a traditional student, mingling with the Corps was certainly a new experience for the 19-year-old chemistry major. But new experiences are what college is about, and Doolittle learned quickly that attending classes with Corps members actually has its benefits.
You have to approach it openly because it’s not going to be your typical college experience. But I think when you graduate with a degree from Norwich, it will all be worth it.
~ Kaitlyn Doolittle
“It definitely provides a lot of structure even for the civilian students,” Doolittle says. “They hold us to a lot of the same standards as the Cadets. Like class attendance, at some colleges you don’t have to go to class, but at Norwich you have to.”
But it wasn’t the structure and order that drew Doolittle to the school at first: That spot is reserved for Norwich’s top-notch chemistry program and its women’s hockey team. According to Doolittle, Norwich’s hockey coach happened to be scouting a high school teammate of hers when he noticed Doolittle on the ice. Shortly thereafter she was asked to come to Norwich and join the Lady Cadet’s defensive squad. Of course Doolittle didn’t jump right in though, she wanted to be sure the academics were up to her standards as well. And sure enough they were.
“I came and talked to Professor Hoppe at an open-house weekend and she showed us some of the equipment and the facilities, and they had some pretty high-tech stuff on campus,” Doolittle said. “And I really liked the small class sizes.”
Now nearly two years into her education here at Norwich, Doolittle says she has plans for graduate and doctoral work following graduation. Of course she’s not quite ready to leave The Hill, noting that she’s made a lot of friends at Norwich and enjoys her time on the ice with her fellow Cadets. And for students who might be thinking about Norwich for their higher education, Doolittle has one piece of advice:
“You have to approach it openly because it’s not going to be your typical college experience,” she said. “But I think when you graduate with a degree from Norwich, it will all be worth it.”
