LATROBE, PA — Kaitlin Repp, C’22, always knew she wanted to serve others—she just wasn’t sure how.
At first, the Saint Vincent College alumna thought the answer was through law. She eventually discovered that the best way for her to answer her calling is to take her passion for health policy issues and hopefully help Pennsylvania constituents through the formation of good policy.
The political science major recently participated in the summer session of the Pennsylvania House Fellowship Program, an initiative aimed at providing graduate students with work experience, education and insight into the people, issues and politics of the state legislative process. The full-time, in-person program in Harrisburg lasted 10 weeks.
One of the most rewarding parts of this program is the final bill project, Repp said. Relating to her own battle with side effects of Lyme Disease, she decided to create a bill that mandates reporting for the tick-borne disease babesiosis and requires continuing education in tick-borne diseases for healthcare practitioners.
The Adams County native presented her bill—the Babesiosis Reporting and Tick-Borne Disease Continuing Education Act—to Democrats and Republicans during the tail end of the fellowship program. Repp's work in the program led to an employment opportunity in Harrisburg as a policy analyst for the Republican Caucus on the House Health Committee, a position she began in mid-September. She is currently working on earning a master's degree in public policy and administration from the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, Texas, and is on track to graduate in May.
“Wherever my path takes me, I hope to have a fruitful career in public service,” Repp said. “I want my work to make a tangible difference in the lives of everyday Pennsylvanians.”
Her professional trajectory was heavily influenced by dealing with side effects of Lyme Disease throughout college. When she was unable to attend law school immediately after earning a bachelor’s degree from SVC in 2022, a new path began to form. Repp worked as a research assistant for three years for the political science department at Saint Vincent College. During that time, she completed an environmental policy internship with the Laudato Si’ Advocates Program, run jointly by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. After advocating for change on the federal level through the lens of Catholic social teaching, Repp decided to pursue a master’s degree in public policy and administration.
Thus far, Repp has taken courses on subjects such as US health policy, public administration ethics, and a special topics class analyzing social problems and public policy from a Catholic perspective. The inspiration for her master’s thesis was sparked through the fellowship over the summer in Harrisburg as she was assigned to work on the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection and Energy committees.
“This experience inspired me to take a class on US energy policy this semester and to write my thesis analyzing the new challenges AI data centers pose to grid reliability in Pennsylvania,” Repp said.
She credits the critical thinking and research skills she developed at SVC with ensuring that she was well-prepared for the Master of Public Policy and Administration program at Saint Thomas.
The 2018 Delone Catholic High School (McSherrystown) graduate was initially set on another college before her mother insisted touring Saint Vincent after finding it on a “list of the best value colleges in Pennsylvania,” Repp said.
“My mom had to practically drag me to campus,” Repp added, but the SVC alumna was “won over by the warm and welcoming community.” After attending Accepted Students Day with her family, they concluded the day by attending Mass in Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica where Repp prayed for guidance.
“I distinctly remember having a moment of such peace and clarity that I immediately knew that I was going to attend Saint Vincent,” Repp recalled. “I have never regretted that decision. Saint Vincent became like a second home to me.”
Lifelong lessons Repp learned at the College include the value of community, the need to pursue the truth, and the importance of serving the common good—lessons that have shaped her career path.
“My Saint Vincent education, steeped in the Benedictine and liberal arts traditions, inspired me to begin a career in public service,” Repp added.
She credits Dr. Jerome Foss, Endowed Professor of Catholic Thought and Culture, and Dr. Jason Jividen, associate professor of political science, with fostering a community where students are eager to learn.
“Due to their efforts, my love of learning blossomed,” Repp said. “Saint Vincent’s top-notch political science program is largely due to the efforts of dedicated faculty.”
For instance, Foss’s domestic public policy class during Repp’s senior year opened her eyes to the intricacies of the policymaking process and the need for well-formed policy.
“Her eagerness in class, her participation in reading groups, her leadership in the Aurelius Scholars program, her enthusiasm for domestic and international travel, particularly as part of the inaugural run of the Summer Institute in Rome, and much else set Kaitlin apart,” Foss said.
He also credited Repp for her diligent efforts as a research assistant. Those efforts, Foss said, allowed him to maintain his pace in research, conference participation and publication.
“What was most impressive was how she made the projects her own and did far more work than anyone could have expected of her,” Foss added. “She brought to my attention stories and details that I had no idea existed. Now that she is a policy analyst for the state, I know Pennsylvanians have a champion on their side. Her hard work has certainly paid off.”
