Casey Rau, Class of 2016
How long have you lived in Philadelphia? I was born and raised in Pottstown PA, so other than my four years at Smith I have lived my whole life in the greater Philadelphia area.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city? I LOVE Alma de Cuba.
What are you up to now? I’m working at Haverford College as a Program and Communications Coordinator in the Center for Career and Professional Advising Career Center. This fall, I also helped coach the Bryn Mawr field hockey team.
What house did you live in on campus and what was your favorite thing about it?
I lived in Jordan House all four years. My favorite part about Jordan was the sense of community. After a long day of classes and field hockey, it always felt like I was going home at the end of the day.
Why did you choose Smith? I chose Smith for many different reasons. As an incoming first-year, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, so Smith’s open curriculum really gave me a chance to explore many different academic paths, even after I declared my religion major. I also knew that I wanted to play field hockey, and Smith has a very competitive program that is improving every year. I visited a lot of liberal art schools with strong field hockey programs, but at Smith I felt such a connection with the team and our coach, Jaime.
What is your favorite Smith tradition and why? There are way too many to choose from. Of course I love convocation and mountain day. But most of all I loved our pregame field hockey rituals. I loved the sense of collective excitement before games. It is something that is hard, if not impossible, to replace.
Who was your favorite professor/what was your best class? I have two favorite professors, Connie Kassor and Peter Gregory. Way too many great classes to choose from, I loved all the Buddhist classes (I was a Buddhism Concentrator at Smith) and I especially loved printmaking with Lindsey Clark-Ryan.
Do you have a defining/favorite/most memorable/transformative Smith moment?
Playing field hockey at Smith was very important for me. Working with a team and a really supportive coaching staff empowered me on and off the field. In general, Smith helped me build my confidence and awareness of myself and the world around me.
Casey and her parents at Smith during her Senior Field Hockey Game.
The Smith College Club of Philadelphia 