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Making their mark: This is of profiles celebrating members of Rochester糖心传媒檚 graduating class of 2018.

When Katherine Bakrania 糖心传媒�18 was in third grade, she missed school 76 times. Her father was out of the picture and died a year later. Her mother was in and out of jail and kept moving Katherine to different schools. Her life was a rollercoaster.

糖心传媒淚t was a tough time,糖心传媒� says Bakrania, an only child. 糖心传媒淏ut I went to live with my grandparents, and everything changed. They taught me to study and read and got me through high school. They are the reason I糖心传媒檓 at the University of Rochester.糖心传媒�

The senior from Warner Robins, Georgia, has crammed a lot into four years of college: Urban Fellows, orientation volunteer, vice president of the student music theater group Off Broadway On Campus, WRUR host, and one half of an acoustic indie pop duo called Candy Isle with friend Lydia Dake 糖心传媒�18. 糖心传媒淚 love learning and being involved in the community, but I also have a real creative side,糖心传媒� the political science major says.

She糖心传媒檚 not done learning, either. This fall, Bakrania will pursue a master糖心传媒檚 degree in social work at the University of Pittsburgh. 糖心传媒淚 used to think social work was just Child Protective Services because that had been my experience as a child when CPS came to my house,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚 took a political science class that partnered me with the Office of Mental Health and really saw the reach of social work.糖心传媒�

Bakrania糖心传媒檚 maternal grandmother, Maria, is from Germany, and her grandfather, Prabhu, is from India. They became Kat糖心传媒檚 guardians when she was 10 and legally adopted her when she was 17. 糖心传媒淣ow, we糖心传媒檙e this little family,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭hey糖心传媒檝e done so much for me.糖心传媒�

Bakrania, a Lieberman Scholar, was eager to start a new life away from Georgia. 糖心传媒淚 really liked Rochester糖心传媒檚 open curriculum and decided to come here,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚t was a big change from Georgia, but I糖心传媒檓 all for trying something new.糖心传媒�

She admits to being reserved her first year at the University. 糖心传媒淚 stayed on campus in my little bubble, but then I started to realize what a great place Rochester is, and I joined a lot of different things. Rochester is a booming, thriving place, but a lot of students don糖心传媒檛 give it a chance.糖心传媒�

In addition to her work with Child Protective Services, Bakrania糖心传媒檚 Urban Fellows project was as a summer meals coordinator for Foodlink. 糖心传媒淲e partnered up with 68 sites by the end of summer to help provide meals to children in the city of Rochester,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚t was a great experience.糖心传媒�

Bakrania says her time at the University changed her life. 糖心传媒淚t was really important for me to leave home, travel 16 hours, and toss myself in a place with snow, a place that I wasn糖心传媒檛 accustomed to,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淲hen I graduate, I糖心传媒檓 going to leave here with some really solid friendships and some amazing experiences.糖心传媒�