I’m Katherine, Regional Admissions Representative here at Chatham.  Sounds confusing, right?  Well, I am an admissions counselor, but I live in the same area as the students I work with!  This year, I will be taking on the Northeast yet again and travelling all around New York and New Jersey (with occasional stops in New England as well).For those of you who have never been to Pittsburgh before, let me just tell you – the ‘burgh is fun! Having grown up in New York, I’ve always been proud to be from “the city.”  But Pittsburgh has become a second home to me and one that I really love.  First of all, Pittsburgh is smaller and less populated so it’s easier to get around and learn the city.  Native Pittsburghers are so friendly; they made this New Yorker a little nervous at first (I mean, why would strangers be so nice unless they wanted something from you?).  There are so many colleges in Pittsburgh and the city feels really young and hip. Beyond all the great things a college student needs like museums, internship opportunities and fun places to hang out, there are many excellent options in Pittsburgh for two of my favorite things to do: eat and shop!Chatham is in a part of the city called Shadyside.  Shadyside reminds me a lot of Greenwich Village (for you New Yorkers), South Street Philly (for my South Jersey and Philly girls) and also pretty much any part of Boston.  There is shopping and restaurants (I told you I love it!) and we are right down the road from two of the biggest universities in Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.So, if you are nervous about leaving the Northeast and heading to western Pennsylvania for college – don’t be!  There are a lot of the same things that you love about home in Pittsburgh, plus many new things for you to discover (like a Pittsburgh salad – who says salads are healthy?).Hopefully I will get to meet many of you during my travels – but if not, feel free to get in touch with me (732-658-1043 or kzimoulis@chatham.edu).  I’d be happy to tell you all about Chatham and possibly set up a one-on-one interview in your hometown. I will be running a bus from New York City to Pittsburgh (with stops in Philly and Harrisburg) in February – you should plan to join me on that trip!