“If you’ve attended an event at the Sottile in the last year or so, you can bet part of the reason it ran so smoothly was thanks to senior Kaleigh Knudsen, the Event Manager at the Theater.
The Communication major, originally from Ipswich, Mass., says she has had a ‘hands-on’ experience in the event planning industry, starting as a catering assistant and working up to her current position at the Sottile, as well as taking relevant classes at the College of Charleston.
‘I have a Communications Studies major, but I kind of made my own major since they don’t have an event planning major here. I’ve taken hospitality, arts management, and every class that would apply.’ Knudsen said.
After she graduates in December, Knudsen plans to keep working at the Sottile, where she is responsible for making contracts for the renters, taking care of any of their special technical, staff, or catering requests, as well as being on-hand on event nights to open the doors and keep an eye on everything. She also follows up with billing and event reviews.
Though she might spend late nights at the Sottile, Knudsen doesn’t mind because she gets to see everything that comes through the theater, from ballerinas to bodybuilders.
When not watching or helping other people perform, Knudsen likes to perform herself, singing at open-mic nights in her hometown accompanied by her guitarist brother.
Knudsen also finds time to dance herself, taking African dance at the College and the occasional Zumba class.
Though you would never know it from her poised and organized exterior, Knudsen says she’s ‘really silly.”
‘If you get to know me, when I’m not working or in class, I like to make people laugh.’”
-Original article published in the George Street Observer and written by Georgia Schrubbe
