(10/2020) The fine arts have an influence on a person, quickly making her accustomed to the deeper and more intellectual parts of life. With the opportunities offered at a college focused on the arts and a paper interested in the usage of the written word, magic happens, and individuals are prepared to face the world and succeed. Kathryn Franke is one such individual.

A two-time graduate of the Mount both undergraduate and graduate, a veteran of the Emmitsburg News-Journal for a more than impressive amount of time, and now a successful businesswoman out in the world, Kathryn has developed an excellent track record for herself. It all begins in the area familiar to us, where so many other students have started their own journey. Coming to the Mount in the year 2009, Kathryn knew herself to have loved art ever since she was a little kid. "I wanted to major in fine arts and communications from early on," she said in an interview. Though both disciplines appear to have very little linking them together at first glance, Kathryn would soon find a way to fuse them together.

Later in her college career, while on a run with a friend to prepare for the upcoming track and cross-country season, Kathryn encountered a man who would eventually become her boss. After a short conversation about photographs that eventually led to one on the topic of the Emmitsburg News-Journal, Mike Hillman, the owner, operator, and chief editor of the paper, made Kathryn an offer for the job of a fine arts writer. It was the perfect chance to combine her love of the arts, her two majors at the college, and her skills at writing all into one occupation. It was the commencement of a long career with the paper, one in which Kathryn would, according to her own words, write "more articles than I can count."

Over the course of six years at the Mount, Kathryn continued her time at the Emmitsburg News-Journal, spending about ten years in total at the service of the paper. She covered a wide range of topics related to the arts on campus, including the methods behind producing art, music, paintings, various activities at the Mount, and even what life is like after college. Her articles served a critical purpose for both the college and the community, drawing the two closer together. Art cannot truly be art if it is not enjoyed by someone or if it is only enjoyed by a small fragment of a community. Kathryn’s articles were a method to correct this issue and connect the residents of Emmitsburg, Thurmont, and many other local towns, with the beautiful works and performances at Mount Saint Mary’s, enabling the students to share their talents with those who otherwise would receive no benefit. Without a doubt, this fusion has provided more opportunities to both students and residents, fostering a new sense of community.

One of her articles in particular accomplished this, and in a way very personal to her. As an honors student, it was required that Kathryn orchestrate a special project before graduation, a task which she performed in the form of a juried art show. While the show itself was certainly difficult to compose, Kathryn also, in a way, handled her own publicity for the event. She was able to write about the event she worked on herself, experiencing both parts of her college career in different ways and at the same time. Kathryn went so far as to state that covering this event was her "favorite article, if I had to pick."

More than that, Kathryn was the very first Fine Arts writer for the News-Journal, starting a tradition that continues until current times. Without her initiating the line of succession, there would be a number of writers who would not have received a chance to speak for their interests and to share information with the community at large. Though she had many other responsibilities on campus as a student, Kathryn fulfilled this goal nonetheless. The Emmitsburg News-Journal was one of the primary activities in which Kathryn participated, described by her as a "huge benefit" to her career. In fact, her work at the paper was so important for her that it changed her as a person, but only for the better. "Writing for the paper helped me to gain confidence with what I was learning in school," she said.

As one would expect, with such a long time working anywhere, people tend to accumulate a vast array of positions and responsibilities. When pressed as to what part of working for the Emmitsburg News-Journal was her favorite, Kathryn responded that she loved "being the managing editor, because of the continuity." As with many of the other positions for the paper, a long line of students hired by other students fills the position of managing editor. Other than that value, however, Kathryn handled quite a heavy load of responsibilities, assisting with the publication of the paper, brainstorming ideas for articles, and helping Mike with advertising. It was an informative experience for her, and one that she passed down to the classes afterwards to handle.

After she graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s with a master’s degree in 2015, Kathryn leapt into the world of marketing. She landed many different roles that furthered her career and also brought her great satisfaction, due to the "good preparation from the Mount and the real world." It is no unfair assumption that the paper provided a means for her to gain that real-world experience. When combined with her studies this experience gave Kathryn a clear example of the lessons from the classroom applied to reality. In particular, she stated that offering of experience as something her boss, Mike, was particularly skilled at. "He had many ways to take the experience out of the classroom and integrate it with the education at the Mount."

For that reason, when prompted about what she missed most about the Emmitsburg News-Journal, Kathryn gave a simple response. She stated that she missed working with Mike most of all, because of his unique personality and ability to link the Mount with the surrounding communities. She also stated that he has "excellent stories and is a wealth of information." It is apparent that Kathryn still can easily recall her experiences today and is particularly aware of how much they influenced her path. Now, as a grown woman with an eye to the future, Kathryn is able to look ahead into the future just as much as she likely did in the past. When asked what the future holds next for her, she simply replied that she plans to build upon her career, an occupation in which she always finds ways to integrate her love of the arts and marketing together. In more ways than one, she has found a career that both fulfills the plan she set for herself and builds upon the foundation she worked to diligently build. Her own words speak for themselves for what all the future might hold, and they must be allowed to stand. "The fine arts will always be a part of my life."