Katherine Kihiczak will begin reporting for ChicoSol on Sept. 8 as a California Local News fellow. Kihiczak met with ChicoSol Senior Editor Lindajoy Fenley for a Q-and-A about her background and move to Chico. Kihiczak will spend the next two years here, following in the footsteps of former fellow Yucheng Tang.
LJF: You may find Chico quite different from places you’ve lived before in Southern California, Swarthmore, Penn., and New York City. Can you share something about your first impression of this Northern Sacramento Valley town? How might your view change as you get to know the community?
KK: On my first visit to Chico, I was met with so much kindness from Chicoans. I walked through Bidwell Park and loved seeing people walking around the creek. I’m excited to join a community where I think there is a stronger sense of place … that is different from the other places I have lived.
One more thing: My first impression of Chico has been through following the upcoming elections. I see that there are issues that matter to the community and that there’s a strong sense of engagement.
LJF: What do you think might be challenging about relocating to Chico?
KK: There will be dynamics going into City Council meetings and relationships that I won’t yet understand. People will be familiar with each other and I’ll be the new face. Going in with humility and curiosity will be extremely important. Earning the trust of the community will take time.
LJF: On college papers at Swarthmore College and Columbia University, you wrote about scientists, artists and government officials. Can you tell us about one of your favorite stories and how you did the reporting?
KK: It’s hard to choose. It was a great honor to profile a Nobel Prize winner [John Hopfield, Nobel Prize in physics, 2024] who had gone to my college. I felt I had the chance to let someone’s voice really come through and represent their life over a period of time. It was special to let this person’s perspectives and the life lessons they seemed to want to impart be the wisdom of the story. I went in to the story with a lot of curiosity and also having spoken with some physics experts so I could understand the questions I was asking.
I’d also choose a profile of a student artist of Mexican heritage. It was exciting to try to represent the different aspects of his story-telling and to be extremely curious and thorough as I was sharing aspects of a culture that wasn’t my own. It was a privilege I took seriously because someone was trusting me with their story.
Something I love about ChicoSol is the cross cultural reporting.
LJF: You’re multilingual – able to speak in Spanish, French, Italian, Ukrainian and, of course, English, and have some interest in indigenous languages such as Zapotec. How do you expect to use this language ability in your reporting, now as well as in the future?
KK: I studied linguistics and comparative literature and this focus on language taught me a great deal about our connectivity and cross-cultural commonality and the ways we can connect through language. This has been really instructive for my reporting because I understand not only the linguistic differences that can affect one’s story but also the ways that language affects your world view and your ways of knowing. That has helped me be a more thoughtful reporter and incorporate broad perspectives.
LJF: Is there something else you’d like the Chico community to know about you?
KK: I’d love to tell climate stories.
Also, I have an arts reporting background, so I was the arts editor at my undergrad paper, and my Master’s thesis looks at Ukrainian art initiatives as an anti-war effort. So I’m also excited to participate in the exciting arts scene in Chico.
LJF: Your last name hints at a Ukrainian cultural background – something I think Chicoans might find interesting. Can you tell us how to pronounce your last name?
KK: My last name is pronounced ki-hi-chek. It’s Ukrainian. I have Ukrainian heritage and I’m really proud of my last name. I know it can be a tough one to pronounce. But it makes me feel connected to my family. I love reporting stories that connect to my own background as well. I started learning Ukrainian last year in New York.
Interviewer Lindajoy Fenley is a senior editor at ChicoSol.