Katerine Lee
Italian Class of 2025
What was your major? Why did you choose it?
I double majored in Italian and Political Science. I chose to major in Italian because I enjoyed my language courses, and I wanted to be able to read Boccaccio’s Decameron and Dante’s Inferno as they were originally written.
What was your first job after graduation?
I worked part-time as a Legislative Assistant at the California State Assembly throughout college and a few months after graduating. I became an Intellectual Property Practice Assistant at a large law firm afterwards.
What are you up to now?
I am working at a law firm in San Francisco, where I assist two partners and two patent agents in the firm’s intellectual property practice group. We help biotech companies obtain patents on their inventions through the US Patent and Trademark Office.
How did your experience at UC Davis prepare you for the next step in your academic and professional journey?
Of the many intellectual challenges we encounter in life, there’s nothing quite like the challenge of learning a new language and culture. I think my experience in LangLit at UC Davis taught me to be a little braver and helped me appreciate the results that come from consistency and continuous curiosity. My approach to academic and professional challenges is “I can do anything, because I once recited from memory a canto from Dante’s Inferno to a class of 20 people (in Italian!)”.
What's your advice for someone considering your major?
Do it.
What was your favorite part of your undergraduate program here?
I loved my summer abroad in Rome with Professor Grossi. I got to see so many historically relevant places that I otherwise may not have visited (the abbey at Montecassino, the Ardeatine caves, Etruscan tombs in Tarquinia dating back to the 5th century BC—just to name a few). It was an enriching experience.
What are you most proud of from your undergrad experience?
I’m most proud of achieving a balanced life during my time as an undergraduate student. I double majored, worked 3 part-time jobs, studied abroad, and I was able to pursue some of my personal interests on the side. All credit is due to my Outlook calendar.
Do you have a professor or a class you want to shout out?
I have always appreciated Professor Subialka’s passion for world history and literature.
What were you involved in outside of class (clubs, internships, etc.)?
I was a board member of the Davis Pre-Law Society and Chair of the ASUCD Judicial Council. I also served as a Peer Advisor for the Italian major.