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Siena College

10/18/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/18/2024 10:37

The Untold Story of... Catherine Snyder, Ph.D.

Oct 18, 2024
  1. My first job was mowing lawns. When I was 11, I asked for a lawn mower and gas tank for my birthday. At the height of my business, I mowed fifteen lawns in my neighborhood. I even had an invoice and receipt book for my customers!
  2. I love field hockey! When I tried out for the team as a high school freshman, it became clear I would not make the cut. I noticed the coach was trying to fill the keeper position, and no one was volunteering. I volunteered, made the team, and had an eight-year career as a high school and college goalkeeper!
  3. I do not have a musical bone in my body. I took guitar lessons for two years as a kid and never advanced beyond the intro lesson book. The guitar teacher finally told my mother to stop paying for lessons.3.
  4. In college, I majored in economics and Chinese. I planned to build on my lawn mowing success, but this time, I was doing it in international banking. I thought I would make my first million by 25. (It didn't quite work out!)
  5. I speak Chinese and taught English in China and Taiwan for two years. I love to cook Chinese food and celebrate Chinese culture with my friends.
  6. During the pandemic, I learned how to make bread and sushi from scratch. I have to admit, my sushi is pretty good.
  7. The loves of my life are my husband of 35 years, Dave, and daughter, Elizabeth. I met my husband when we were both students in China. We are both history and language geeks. Our daughter is finishing up her PhD in evolutionary biology. (We might have brought the wrong baby home from the hospital 30 years ago…)
  8. Gardening is my passion. I have an enormous vegetable and flower garden and enjoy sharing my bounty with my Siena friends and colleagues. This year, the National Garden Conservancy featured our perennial garden, and we helped raise money for garden initiatives nationwide. (Thank you, Siena friends, for attending!)
  9. I love reading recipe books. Is that weird?
  10. Our newest family member is a rescue we named Marmalade. She is a 7-pound cat who thinks she is a black Lab. She loves road trips, Starbucks drive-thrus, and Swiss cheese. She is always the center of attention and is shockingly poorly behaved.

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