Meet Me at Kaldi’s is a recurring column in The Emory Wheel. Every other week, Music & Live Art Desk Mia Hamon selects a random Emory University student and invites them to Kaldi's Coffee at The Depot for a casual conversation.
The steady quiet that emerges after a restful break can feel both intimidating and soothing. Nevertheless, on the day that classes resumed after fall break, Caitlin Ludwig (27C) brought an authentic, peaceful energy that radiated throughout Kaldi’s porch as she prepared to share her story.
Ludwig beamed while talking about Georgia’s warm weather, but emphasized her love for her chilly hometown, Cleveland. She reflected on her childhood and explained her admiration for Cleveland’s full four seasons, sports culture and Jewish community.
Majoring in Anthropology and International Studies, Ludwig said her career interests reflect her desire to work with people. Initially, Ludwig thought about becoming an attorney; however, her time at Emory University has exposed her to different areas of study and broadened her occupational scope.
Ludwig spoke of her time at Emory with adoration and joy. She nervously laughed when thinking back to her first ever day of class, when her curiosity to explore campus with her friend Lola Cooke (27C) quickly turned sour.
During the annual First Day Festival, Ludwig decided to map out their daily routes to class. As the new friends passed the Robert W. Woodruff Library, Ludwig felt a spark of curiosity and decided to explore the building. After ascending to the library’s tenth level, the pair began to go down the stairs, stopping at each floor. However, the two soon found themselves lost in the stairwell of Stacks Tower, panicking as they ran up and down multiple flights of the building, trying to find an exit.
“We ended up walking down all 10 flights of stairs, and we couldn't find the exit,” Ludwig said. “It was really scary and that definitely freaked me out. But it was quite an adventure.”
Nothing represents the first year experience like getting lost in the library. And although frightening at the time, Ludwig remembers this story fondly, grinning while recounting her and her friend’s simple mistake.
As the oldest child of her family, Ludwig sees herself as someone with a caring and maternal spirit. Ludwig said she fits many of the stereotypes surrounding eldest daughters, but rather than being ashamed of those attributes, she is proud of them. As an Atlanta-based nanny and summer camp counselor, Ludwig expressed that being the oldest child energizes rather than exhausts her.
“I spend a lot of my free time, or chosen time outside of school, with kids,” Ludwig said. “And that's something I'm really passionate about.”
Now an upperclassman, Ludwig also finds herself indirectly acting like the eldest daughter in her various leadership positions. Ludwig is a senior U.S. politics editor for the Emory Political Review, a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and an advising fellow for Matriculate Emory — a college advising program for high-achieving, low-income high school seniors across the country.
Ludwig emphasized the transformative nature of her work with Matriculate. Prior to her role as an advising fellow, Ludwig was not aware of the hurdles that many college applicants face, such as scholarship processes and citizenship issues.
“Right now, I'm working with a student who's a refugee, and so her status is so different because she's not eligible for all of the different financial aid options,” Ludwig said. “To see everyone's stories is really impactful.”
Reflecting on her first year, Ludwig brought a mature perspective as she spoke about her past leadership roles, majors and friendships.
“It's totally normal to change your interests and change the people that you surround yourself with over time,” Ludwig said. “Something that I really had to come to terms with was that if you change your mind about who you want to surround yourself with or what you want to do, it doesn't devalue the time that you've already spent with other people.”
Concluding the conversation, Ludwig shared a favorite Emory memory, which took place during an evening class with her now-favorite teacher, Anthropology Professor David Nugent. According to Ludwig, Nugent wants his students to learn “in the best way,” often bringing food for his students during his evening classes.
One day, Ludwig decided to pay forward Nugent’s generosity. During a break in class, Ludwig and a classmate rushed to the Eagle Emporium to grab a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Ludwig recounted how his face lit up when they brought Nugent the treat.
“For the rest of the class, he just ate it out of the pint,” Ludwig said. “He had to pause because he got brain freeze.”
In just a year, Ludwig will move on from Emory, but she will carry a better understanding of human nature and global conflicts with her. As a true people person, Ludwig hopes to engage in non-profit and social work after graduation, furthering her mission to change the world through working with the people who live in it.
