网红头条

KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 15, 2025

Kaitlyn Sennett will carry several titles with her as she crosses the stage with her bachelor鈥檚 degree from 网红头条 later this week.

Student. Researcher. Motorcyclist. Hunter. Assistant logistics manager. Daughter. Graduate. Survivor.

The KSU senior came back to school after a major motorcycle accident in 2024 left her bedridden and unable to walk. A semester off, followed by intense perseverance, overwhelming curiosity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence brought her to where she is today 鈥� standing on the floor of Vystar Arena awaiting her bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology.

鈥淢y story is not just about achievements, but about the growth, resilience, and service that define who I am and who I aspire to be,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for the opportunities this university has provided, and I鈥檓 committed to carrying forward its mission as I pursue my career in medicine, striving always to transform lives through knowledge, compassion, and service.鈥�

The graduate of Woodland High School in Bartow County has worked since she was 15. Not long after her mother, a forestry wildlife biologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was transferred to Georgia, Sennett started looking at colleges. She would need a university where she could continue to work while taking classes, and she found that environment just down the road.

鈥溚�红头条kept popping up,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 did some more research and realized how well this school fit my lifestyle. I didn鈥檛 have to relocate to get access to a good education. It also fell within my Zell Miller scholarship, so all factors considered, it turned out to be the perfect school for me to study and get my education.鈥�

With a biologist for a mother, Sennett developed her curiosity from a young age, especially when it comes to nature. An avid hiker, hunter, and adventurer, she takes being outside to another level, investigating thoroughly anything about plants and animals that strikes her interest. At KSU, she decided to major in biology with a focus which led to an Honors project in immunology supervised by Lecturer of Biology Sheila Marie Schreiner.

Sennett took a bioethics course from Schreiner in Fall 2023 and registered for Schreiner鈥檚 immunology class for Spring 2024. Just two weeks into that semester, Sennett was in a serious motorcycle accident that forced her to take a semester off 鈥� but not before considering attending KSU part time and taking online classes. Her rehabilitation required all her attention, though, and she made the decision to step away from school.

Schreiner stayed in touch and marveled at Sennett鈥檚 determination at getting back to school and to life.

鈥淪he displayed an immense amount of maturity and perseverance,鈥� Schreiner said. 鈥淜aitlyn kept checking in to see what she could do and never lost sight of her goals. She is showing her peers that you could go through hard things and still be successful.鈥�

Sennett was also on the rise through the ranks at Harbor Freight Tools when she had her accident. She came back from a medical leave of absence and kept impressing her coworkers, rising to assistant logistics manager and continuing to work 45 hours a week on top of taking classes full time at KSU, which she continues to do.

鈥淚 don't like to be bored. I guess that's the simplest answer I have,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y pet peeve is I want to learn a million and one things, but there's not enough time in the day. But I have the desire to learn all the time.鈥�

Schreiner added that she kept checking her class rosters until spring semester 2025, when Sennett re-enrolled in the immunology class and went full-bore into a research project through the . Sennett鈥檚 project pertained to immune response during surgery, another undergraduate experience that has helped clarify her path in life.

Sennett will take a couple of gap years to earn a surgical technician certification before applying to medical school. She plans on practicing cardiothoracic neonatal surgery after finishing medical school, a goal enhanced by her experiences in recovery from her accident as well as with other family members. She has no plans to give up riding her motorcycle, working on cars, hunting on her family鈥檚 tract of land in Mississippi, or pursuing whatever other interests cross her path.

鈥淎t KSU, I was focused on my education, but that didn't stop me from understanding who I am and what I want to be,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just set aside a lot of traditional college life so I could live life to its fullest outside the classroom.鈥�

鈥� Story by Dave Shelles

Photos by Katherine Seghers

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 网红头条 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. 网红头条is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 网红头条is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.