For as long as she can remember, helping others has been part of her life, said Kacie Walters '25.
The Bachelor of Social Work grad was certainly influenced by her mother’s helping heart. The family’s matriarch introduced Walters and her siblings to volunteering through her own work with Plant A Row Lehigh Valley, a chapter of the national Plant a Row for the Hungry program. The effort encourages local backyard gardeners to plant an extra row of an edible crop and donate the fruits of their labor to local food pantries and meal centers.
The New Tripoli, Lehigh County-raised Walters said it was rewarding to watch the effort from planting through donation, noting even that though the area in which she was raised was surrounded by farmland, it was still located in a food desert.
In middle school and high school, Walters fittingly took on the role of cheer coach. When a sibling expressed interest in entering the veterinary medicine field one day, the family also took on the role of fosters to kittens in need, something Walters continues to do to this day. Her mother planted the “giving-back seed,” but it was in high school that Walters realized she could actually make a career out of helping people.
A visit to Alvernia University and the draw to its small class sizes, allowing for an easier transition from the high school setting, along with the school’s Advanced Standing program, solidified her path.
During her time at Alvernia, Walters made the most of the opportunities available to her. She conducted research alongside her peers and professors, and completed internships with an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab center, as well as Lehigh County Children and Youth Services as part of the intake unit. She was also a 2024-2025 Senior Scholar.
