Catherine Long

“My name is Catherine Long, a senior from Acworth, Georgia, and I’m pursuing a BFA in acting for stage and screen. I will be working as the issue area coordinator for Arts & Culture and Environment, Animals, and Wildlife this year. Since I will be working with so many sweet critters, I would choose talking to animals as my superpower.

I would contribute a lot of my community engagement throughout my college career to being an out of state student trying to invest in the environment around me. I found that once I got more involved in the Oxford community, I began to feel more at home than ever despite being six hours away from my family. The best part of the LOU community, to me, is how friendly everyone is in Oxford. 

While being away from home definitely strengthened my community engagement, I have to give almost all of the credit to my mom for instilling the value of community within me. My mom, Donna Long, has been an educator for over 30 years, so community is a value that I grew up with!

This season has definitely been one for learning and growing, and I have learned a lot about leadership in the last couple of months. I am currently working as the artistic director for a student-run theatre company on campus, Ghostlight Repertory Theatre. During COVID-19, my team and I had to reselect half of our season and create a cautionary plan for this school year to keep our members as safe as possible. 

I have learned a lot about the university’s new rules surrounding COVID-19, but I have also learned how to be a better leader, artist, and creator than ever before!”

As an issue area coordinator, Catherine will be working with organizations like Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Strawberry Plains, Oxford Community Garden, and many others to promote local artists and events as well as sustainability efforts in our community. If you have any questions about opportunities in this area, please contact us at engaged@olemiss.edu.