May 14, 2009
 Meet the next Barbara Walters.
You may not know her name yet, but you will. Kimberly Karczewski will make sure of that.
On May 14, Karczewski will graduate — Communications degree in hand — with a stellar 3.88 average. And that’s just the first step in her plan for the future.
“Within Communications, I felt like there were a lot of different things that I could do, a lot of different avenues to explore — broadcasting, public relations, marketing. I knew I’d get a feeling for, and a background in, a lot of career possibilities,” she said. “With Ambler, I fell in love with the campus immediately. I had a terrific tour guide and I liked the fact that it offered residence halls so I could enjoy that experience. Everyone I met was very welcoming and friendly.”
Spending her entire four years at Ambler, Karczewski has left an indelible mark on the campus community. Beginning in her freshman year, she immediately became an integral part of student life on campus in addition to introducing prospective students to everything that Ambler has to offer as an Owl Ambassador for four years and a Freshman Orientation Leader during her sophomore and junior years.
“I wanted students coming on to campus to have the same experience that I had when I first visited — I wanted to provide them with the best first impression of the benefits of coming to Ambler. One of the main reasons I chose Ambler was the small classroom environment — I knew I’d learn better in this setting,” she said. “The professors know your name and you’re always able to approach them. At Ambler, I think you’re able to be a ‘big fish’ and really have an impact.”
Karczewski took advantage of the opportunities presented to become a student leader in a variety of facets. In her sophomore year, she became the Ambler Student Government Association Vice President of Student Affairs, a role she would return to in her junior year. She was a member of the Ambler Campus Program Board and Residence Hall Sentate, an organization that she became president of during her junior year in addition to being vice president of the newly formed Ambler Campus College Republicans. She also performed in each of the Ambler Campus Multicultural Holiday Celebrations and became vice president of the Ambler Campus Sports Club in her senior year.
“You’ll hear a lot of students say there’s never anything to do — I was never going to be one of those students. I think I actually do much better academically when I have a lot going on outside of class work,” she said. “Grades have always been important to me — I like A’s and I have a problem with getting anything less — so time management becomes essential.”
Karczewski’s dedication to the campus has certainly not gone unnoticed. In 2008 she was named Owl Ambassador of the Year in addition to receiving the Bob Sundermeier Award, an annual award presented to an undergraduate student who, through participation in extracurricular activities involving leadership roles and campus service, demonstrates the “characteristics of the friendliness, ingenuity, and dedication of the late Bob Sundermeier,” a member of the Ambler Facilities Management staff for many years.
In 2009 she was also presented with a Dean’s Leadership Award and the Ambler Collegial Assembly Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement. Her next step, she said, will be “exploring graduate school and simply finding a job that interests me and challenges me.”
“I’m very grateful for all of the leadership opportunities I’ve had at Ambler. I think they’ve made me a better planner and certainly a better overall public speaker and communicator,” Karczewski said. “For students just starting at Ambler, their college experience is going to amount to exactly what they put into it. My best advice is that they step outside of their comfort zone, try new things, and savor every moment!”
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