Convinced she would be studying pre-med because she had read the famous neurosurgeon, Dr. Ben Carson's book, "Gifted Hands," Hudson looked at Johns Hopkins and Yale Universities as potential prospects. However, what Hudson realized was that what she most enjoyed about the book was reading the literature, not exactly the topic of medicine itself. This realization is what led her to begin her research on Eastern liberal arts colleges and ultimately, Amherst. She was impressed by the College's open curriculum and the illustrious reputation of the English department. Finally, after much contemplation, Hudson was leaning toward Amherst as her college of choice.
Tennis love
Despite the amazing academic education Hudson knew she would receive from Amherst, there was another important factor that kept convincing her to attend the school: tennis. The sport had always been a fundamental part of Hudson's life since she began playing it as a 10-year-old. For many years, she took lessons with professional instructors and played at tournaments. There were many times when she thought of quitting but her parents pushed her to continue because it would be impressive to many colleges.
Luckily, one of those colleges was Amherst. Hudson visited the school and spent time with the women's tennis team, where she was overcome by the team's affability. Since Amherst paired great academics and an impressive team, no other college stood a chance in her mind.
When she arrived at the College, Hudson thought of possibly playing tennis for her first semester and then quitting because tennis had taken up so much of her time in the past. But, yet again, she was reminded of how wonderful the Amherst team was. She stopped thinking of playing tennis solely for herself but for her teammates as well. "College tennis is so different from any type of competition," said Hudson. "It's so much more fun not just being out there for yourself."
Once Hudson was comfortable with her decision to play for the team, she was ready to make a significant impact. As a first-year, she played in the number six position of the lineup and aided the team in getting a bid to the National Tournament. "Playing number six she ran into a lot of players who were 'pushers' and their consistency drove Katie to tears a couple of times. Even though she was winning her matches, it was not good enough. She wanted to play better," recalled Head Coach Jackie Bagwell. "I had a long conversation with both her and her father that she needed to play the way we needed her to play to win matches, not just the way she wanted to play to feel good about her game. She had to make a choice between winning ugly or losing pretty. She decided the team needed her to win, and did what it took to win. No matter how long the points and the matches were, she stuck it out."
During her sophomore year, Hudson played number six for the squad again and helped give the Jeffs another bid to Nationals. At the tournament, Hudson said, she received "one of the biggest tennis lessons of her career." After losing the deciding match against Emory University in the semifinals, she had to wake up at 8 a.m. the next morning to play Middlebury College for the third or fourth place run-off.
"After the tough loss against Emory, it was difficult for us to bounce back. We were all very tired but after I burst into tears during the warm-up and [we] talked with each other, we were ready to win," stated Hudson. After collecting their thoughts and emotions, Hudson and the Jeffs ousted Middlebury for third place.
However, just when Hudson's Amherst tennis career was skyrocketing, she faced a major setback during the first tournament of her junior fall season-a torn ACL. Hudson took some time to get over the initial shock of the injury and then forced herself to do everything that was necessary to get back on the court. She returned to California for surgery, stayed for three weeks and took her finals at home.
Once she was back at the College, Hudson took her rehabilitation process very seriously. For five days a week, for the rest of her junior year, she woke up at 5:50 a.m. and headed for the training room, determined to be able to compete in the spring despite most doctors' predictions for when she would be able to play again. "I didn't want to hear that I would have to miss the whole spring season. I knew that if I stuck to my rehab schedule I had a shot," explained Hudson. "I just wanted to play so badly."
And Hudson did play in the spring, just as she had set her mind to do. She played her first match back in the NESCAC Tournament and then competed in the National Tournament as well.
Now, as a senior, Hudson has taken on the role of co-captain. She plays at the number five singles and number two doubles positions. This year, she and the Jeffs finished second in the National Tournament. Hudson's influence on the team has been a big reason for the team's success this year. "Katie is incredibly close with her teammates, and keeps in regular contact with people who are recent graduates from our team," said Bagwell. "I know our team would never be as organized or as focused if Katie was not on the team. Between Katie and co-captain Caitlin Rhodes '07, our team has 'Fortune 500'-level management, ideas and motivation. Bottom line, Katie Hudson never takes 'no' for an answer."
Hudson's departure from the College won't be tough for only her teammates but for her as well. Tennis has defined her life in many ways in terms of her relationships with people, her daily schedule and the lessons she's learned from the sport. "After college I won't miss the sport so much as I will miss the team. It was comforting to know that for at least two hours of my day I would be spending time with some of my favorite people," Hudson related. "Jackie has been phenomenal: the best coach I could have asked for. She has taught me a lot about communication and has become a very dear friend."
Getting a read on things
Hudson has not only made her mark on the tennis court but in academics also. During her first-year seminar, Western American Lives, a Writing Center tutor came to explain to the students what the Center was about. The Writing Center appealed to Hudson and was something she really hoped to get involved with. Then, in the fall of her sophomore year, Dean Susan Snively nominated Hudson on the strength of her writing, for the position of writing tutor. She now works at the center one night a week for two hours. "I've loved working at the Writing Center because it has allowed me to get to know so many people," said Hudson. "I've learned so much about my own writing by helping others with their papers."
Because of her passion for writing, Hudson also managed to write a thesis for her double major in American studies and English. Her love for literature led her to choose English but she had different motives for majoring in American studies. On one level, the major intrigued her because it was so interdisciplinary; what she really wanted to do, however, was to write her thesis with her advisor, Professor of American Studies and History Martha Sandweiss. "Professor Sandweiss gave me the confidence I needed for my writing," explained Hudson. "She had been such a good advisor to me that I really wanted her to help me with my thesis. She has been a very strong role model for me."
Under Sandweiss' guidance, Hudson completed her thesis entitled "Local Literature, National Imagination and the California Dream: The Hollywood Novel, 1920-1940." She chose this topic because it enabled her to do a lot of reading, a major hobby of hers. Hudson read a total of 40 books for her research.
Along with her successful college career, Hudson's professional endeavors look even brighter. For two summers, she worked at a literary agency where she read manuscripts. This job made her realize she did not want to go into publishing but wanted to be in a competitive atmosphere with a lot of people. "Reading books is something I love, but to work for 12 hours a day, I want to be around a lot of people who are as intense as I am," said Hudson.
During her junior year, she applied for a summer internship with the investment bank Goldman Sachs in New York City. She got the internship and realized how much she enjoyed investment banking. "The internship was so much fun. I met so many people and New York is a great place to be," said Hudson. "I think what made me so successful was saying yes to everything, whether it was trying a new meal or telling my boss I would be able to get a report to him by 4 a.m."
Because of this diligence, Hudson was offered a three-year contract with the firm, which will start this July. "Katie's strong work ethic and ability to synthesize vast amounts of information will certainly serve her well in her investment banking job next year," said Sandweiss. "And heaven knows Goldman Sachs can probably use some smart wordsmiths."
Honors aplenty
Amherst has gained much from Hudson's presence, and in turn Hudson feels she has grown immeasurably at the College. "Everything I learned at Amherst-how to think, how to problem solve, how to communicate-all skills I will use at Goldman," said Hudson. "Figuring out how to write a 10-page paper on Nabokov when I have a tennis match the next day taught me a lot about time management and organization. The small classes have helped as well because it's very conducive to communicating ideas."
Although, Hudson's future is very exciting, it will be difficult to leave Amherst. The College has been her second home for four years, and the birthplace of many lifelong memories and friendships. She has garnered many achievements, including graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors and receiving both the Stephen E. Wicher and the Doshisha American Studies prizes.
"I could not have asked for a better four years and look forward to every opportunity to come back," said Hudson. "I think a lot of people look back and say 'Oh if I knew college would be the best years of my life, I would have done things differently.' But I've always known that at Amherst."