Seelye lived in Saudi Arabia until the age of six because of her father's diplomatic work in the region. After briefly returning to the United States, the family finally settled in Tunisia, where Seelye attended an American school from fifth to eight grade. She returned to the United States for high school, but went back to her Tunisian home at every opportunity. "I spent a lot of time in the Middle East growing up, and I think that quite influenced why I became intrigued in the region and the culture," she said.
Former schoolmate and lifelong friend Margaret "Peggy" Andrews '83 explained Seelye's dual–cultural heritage. "To really understand Kate, you had to know that she grew up in Tunisia, and only secondarily in Washington, D.C.," she said. "As a result, she has always, in the most unaffected way, considered herself culturally to be both Middle Eastern and American."
College lessons
When it came time for college, Seelye yearned for a true liberal arts education. Remembering the feeling of alienation she experienced at a large American public school, Seelye wanted to attend a small, intimate college, and Amherst fit the bill. Seelye had heard of Amherst before-her great-great-grandfather, Julius H. Seelye, taught at the College and served as its president from 1877-1890
Once at Amherst, Seelye played varsity basketball and joined the newly-formed women's rugby team. She also took Arabic classes at UMass-Amherst. During her junior year, she studied abroad at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. "That was probably my seminal year in college," she recalled. Studying Arabic and exploring the region, the experience served as a turning point, making Seelye even more determined to pursue her understanding of the region after college.
Seelye remembers various influential professors with whom she studied at Amherst. She took an Arabic course taught by Senior Lecturer of French Aida Nawar, and a memorable European history course taught by Professor of History Robert Bezucha. Although focused mainly on World War II Europe, the history course showed many films and documentaries that left a lasting impact on Seelye. "It changed my perception of media and how media can be used," she said. "It demonstrated to a curious student the true power of visual image."
In addition to her extracurricular and academic experiences, Seelye recalls the presence of fraternities on campus. "It was the sole social structure on campus," she remembers. Although Seelye was not initially a strong supporter of the fraternity system, she eventually joined Chi Phi, a left-wing, well-traveled group made up of individuals who "shared a common lust for life."
After graduation
Upon graduating from the college, Seelye was unsure about her future path. "I always wanted to be a foreign correspondent, but I had self-doubt in terms of my abilities," she said. Unsure of herself, Seelye headed to Hollywood, working in public relations and the film industry. She eventually landed a job in Los Angeles as a producer for "NewsHour" with Jim Lehrer. However, Seelye found herself unexcited by the job. "I enjoyed my job, but wasn't terribly interested in United States or regional politics," she explained.
After speaking to other foreign journalists and seeking advice as to how to get started, Seelye figured out what she had to do to find fulfillment in her work. "They suggested that I go somewhere where there are no other American journalists-Beirut," she said. She began by freelancing for NPR, CBS, and ABC and eventually landed a full time job at NPR.
Starting her career
While based in Beirut, Seelye made her first documentary for "Frontline" on PBS, which focused on the death of the Lebanese prime minister and the subsequent withdraw of Syrian troops. After Sept. 11, 2001, Seelye remembered that "the whole region became unstable." She thus refocused her attention on the war in Iraq. Reporting back to Americans over the radio, she continued her quest to educate citizens about the growing conflicts in the Middle East. Covering the entire Arab world, Seelye spent four years with NPR. During her time there, Seelye received the Alfred I. DuPont Columbia University Press Award for her regional coverage of the United States invasion of Iraq.
She eventually relocated to Saudi Arabia-a conservative and fervently-religious country. There she pursued her stories and leads with great passion and determination. Speaking some Arabic and having contacts allowed her access to prisoners and high-ranking officials. "You had to be fearless," she said. "You could not be intimidated."
Invaluable lessons
For Seelye, Amherst gave her the ability to think for herself. "Attending Amherst helped me to learn the skill of independent, free thinking," she said. "I learned to question authority, institutions and preconceived notion." Such lessons served her well in her career as a journalist. "You learn to track down your own information, to come up with your own conclusions instead of just accepting the social norm," she explained.
Avidly pursuing key sources of information-yet constantly questioning the validity of the sources-Seelye was quick to point out, "You want to be a critic-not a cynic, a critic." Always trusting her sources, but always corroborating their statements, Seelye has built a reputable name for herself within the region and around the world.
Describing her return to Amherst last year to receive an honorary doctorate, Seelye said she was happy to return to the campus. "It still looked just as pretty as ever. Coming back, I remembered how I loved being in that beautiful neck of New England," she said. She also noted the increase in diversity on campus. "It has become a much more diverse community, and I am very happy about that," she said.
An American Abroad
The sense of anti-Americanism in the Arab world, Seelye observed, "is a phenomenon that has gotten much worse since I moved here, and especially since when I lived here as a child." With the Iraq war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Seelye has had to come to terms with the general hostility towards the American government and foreign policies. "People tell me all the time, 'We like Americans. We have brothers in America. We have cousins in America. We just don't like what America is doing to our country,'" she recounted.
Although never blamed or attacked personally, Seelye has encountered some interesting circumstances. "I've had plenty of interviews where people get so upset about the whole situation that they end up shouting at me," she said. At a protest she recently attended, the group of demonstrators started to chant, "Down with America!" "After realizing that I was probably the only American there, I must admit having a slight sense of panic enter into my mind," she said.
Future plans
Seelye hopes to shift her focus yet again, to documentary film. She recalled the lasting impact the films that Professor Bezucha showed in her European studies class had on her perception of media. Seelye believes that documentary might somehow connect with Americans in a way that radio cannot. "Film has a much longer format. It is a medium that gives me more time and freedom to express myself," she said. "Following a person around the region, experiencing the moment with me … it makes a larger impact on a much broader audience."
In 2003, Seelye received a Fulbright Scholarship funding research for her upcoming documentary about the Arab-American relationship.
Although she is still reporting over the radio for the popular PRI show "The World," Seelye's main focus is her new television documentary. She is once again working with "Frontline"-shooting began on Oct. 15. For this assignment Seelye and a French cameraman will travel to Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Northern Iraq testing her theory of "a more personal way of reporting" and trying to educate Americans on a region that they should know more about.
Seelye hopes people will dispel common misconceptions about the region through her documentary. "Americans who normally do not follow international issues, but now find themselves being targeted, need to be better informed," she said.
Although one might consider this line of work quite demanding, Seelye feels that there is nothing else like it. "The nature of the stories that I'm working on constantly changes," she said. "One is forever learning and being exposed to new issues, thoughts and challenges. My job is never boring, and I get to meet some of the most fascinating people in the world."
Seelye vividly remembers countless feminists, government officials and prisoners of conscious who chose jail rather than abandon their beliefs. "They all were kind enough to greet me, to sit down with me and tell me their story," she said. "I am eternally grateful and extremely humbled by that."
"There's a great freedom in what I do," she said. That autonomy is perfect for Seelye who was never particularly fond of authority. "I do not have many bosses. My editor is very laid back. I'm either at home or in the field, never stuck behind a desk," she said. "And although it gets stressful at times, with the long hours and frequent traveling, it's a price worth paying."