From Student Leader to Published Author: Katy Siedentopp’s Journey

12 Feb From Student Leader to Published Author: Katy Siedentopp’s Journey

Meet Katy Siedentopp, a former Associated Students Inc. student leader and Cal State Fullerton alumna who grew up just 15 minutes from campus. While she came to CSUF seeking the classic college experience, she found even more: using her time in higher education as a stepping stone into the publishing world. That journey ultimately led to the debut of her first fantasy novel, “Inkbound Inheritance” under the name K.T. Jay. Now, Siedentopp looks back on her college years with reflection and humor, sharing insights and memorable stories from her time as a student leader.  

1. What did your journey within ASI look like?  

My journey spanned three years from 2013-2016 where I was involved in different aspects of ASI and held different titles. I first got involved in the Lobby Corps through California Higher Education Student Summit (CHESS) to gain more funding for the California State University system. I loved the opportunity to go to the state capital, meet legislators and successfully lobby for the funding we needed. After that, I was elected onto the ASI Board of Directors representing the College of Health and Human Development and then I was Vice Chair for the board. After that, I ran for ASI Vice President and served in that position for a year.  

I first got involved with ASI after my friend Jonathan Legget, who was ASI Vice President at the time, introduced me and told me there were so many amazing opportunities to take advantage of. He really poured into me and became a mentor in many ways. I remember asking him, “Why are you spending so much time helping me?” and he said, “Because other people poured into me, and that’s why I’m here. I want to do the same and give back.” He’s the one who truly opened my eyes to what ASI was. Seeing his passion helped me realize how incredible it was and how many different avenues there were to get involved. 

 

2. Where did college take you? What are you doing now?  

I didn’t necessarily end up in my field of study; I majored in kinesiology and minored in Spanish. Once I realized I didn’t want to pursue further schooling in the health field, I started exploring other paths. I worked for a nonprofit and spent a few years fundraising before eventually leaving my job to pursue writing full-time. Now I’m an author, and I published my newest book in September 2025. It’s a young adult fantasy novel called “Inkbound Inheritance,” which explores themes of grief through a main character whose mom passes away and leaves behind a world from a story she wrote. Since grief has been a prevalent theme in my own life, I wanted to channel those experiences into a book I would have wanted to read when I was younger. 

 

 3. What’s your favorite college memory? 

  I met my husband at CSUF. We were both resident advisors and met in our fourth year. Meeting him and getting to know him was definitely a favorite and prevalent memory. Another highlight was going to the state capital to lobby with CHESS; it was such an incredible experience. I remember thinking the whole time, “I’m actually in the state capital. I’m in the senate chambers. This is where policies are made, where people shape the world we live in!” I was just 18 years old, sitting with legislators, and even got a seat up front. One legislator initially challenged our requests and pushed back a bit, but afterward he came up to us and said, “Honestly, I think you should be asking for more money. I’m from a CSU as well, and I think they’re fantastic.” That moment really stuck with me. 

ASI prepared us well before meeting with legislators, giving us strong advocacy training and helping us learn how to present our points effectively and respond thoughtfully to questions or pushback. Our group went in with the goal of advocating for increased funding for the CSUs. We presented research, including statistics on how many Californians graduate from CSU schools, and emphasized how those graduates contribute to the workforce and broader society. Our whole pitch was “All these graduates are in society and in the workforce. This is why it’s important that you invest in them, and we need the resources to do that.” 

 

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4. Are you currently watching / reading / listening to anything?   

I’m always reading something. I’m reading “On Writing” by Stephen King, an advice book for authors. He shares lots of great tips for writers, such as mentality, how to stay grounded and how to stay disciplined. I also have the “Wicked” soundtrack on a loop. “Dancing through Life” and “Defying Gravity” are always on repeat, because my 1-and-a-half-year-old loves them.  

5. What do you consider your hometown and what’s a hidden gem from there?   

My hometown is the Placentia and Yorba Linda area, so I would say the Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton. I feel like not many people know about it, but I really love how bright, beautiful and peaceful it is. As a student, I would just walk around it when I was feeling stressed. There’s a bench by the small stream where my husband and I would go, which is why the Arboretum is so special to me.  

 6. What song instantly transports you back to your college days?  

“Anna Sun” and “Shut Up and Dance” by WALK THE MOON.

7. How did your involvement with ASI shape your college experience?  

ASI really helped make my college experience richer and more meaningful. I lived just down the street and was hoping for that classic college experience, but ASI gave me so much more than that. It taught me valuable leadership skills and how to work with people from diverse backgrounds, strengths and life situations. It gave me tools and experiences that truly shaped me into a better person than when I first started.   

I really feel like the adults within ASI really trusted [student leaders] to make big decisions. As a Vice President, I was in charge of millions of dollars, and I was 20 years old, which is so important and gave me the skills for the future. Where else are students going to learn that? Where else are they trusted to that extent? 

I was actually on the search committee that helped hire Dave Edwards, ASI’s current executive director. It was a good balance of trusting us with much, but also guiding us and leading us where we needed to go. I just felt so cared for as a person. They were authentic, they challenged us in ways we needed to be challenged, and asked good questions. They made us think about our choices and what we could do instead of telling us, “This is what you need to do.” 

 

 8. What project or initiative from your student days are you most proud of?  

I had the opportunity to be part of the Titan Student Union expansion, which was an incredibly memorable experience. We attended meetings where construction teams presented proposals, designs and diagrams showing what the space could become. Then we’d take that information back to students, asking, “Is this what you want? What do you need from this space?” It really felt like we were helping shape something meaningful for future students. 

All the student leaders involved were even given a golden shovel trophy; I still have mine. We also got to wear hard hats and tour the construction progress, which was surreal as college students in our early 20s watching the project come to life.  

Hiring Dave Edwards was also a proud moment for me because there I was 20 years old and vetting all these professionals. Seeing that it’s been 10 years and he’s still positively impacting the students to help make CSUF better, I felt like I got to be a part of that by being on his hiring team. Dave cared about the students and their well-being as a person before he cared about them in their position. Those are some things that really stood out to us as student leaders.  

 9. Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?   

In five years, I would love to have finished this book series I started, to have a few more books out there and to grow my author business. I would also love to have more kids and have our debt paid off so [my husband and I] can save for a house.  

10. What’s a piece of advice you would give to your college self?    

You can do all the things you want to do, but not all at once. That advice has been very helpful in re–adjusting my perspective on just being so eager to do things and get involved, but realizing there’s time for everything, and there’s a season for different things. That’s enabled me to be more present and say, “OK, this is what I’m doing now.” There are still opportunities to do the other things, and just because you’re not doing them now doesn’t mean you’re failing. It doesn’t mean you’re never going to do it, but it’s just not right now.  

 11. Is there a fun fact you want more people to know about you?   

I did karate for a number of years and have my black belt.  

12. What’s one thing you can’t live without?   

Good quality tea. I’m a huge tea person. My favorite is Victorian London Fog from Harney & Sons Fine Teas. 

13. Who on campus influenced you more than you realized at the time?  

 Dave Edwards. He’s definitely someone that stood out to me.  

I would also say Jonathan Legget, the ASI Vice President who told me about ASI, because he invested time to share with me about leadership, being involved and how to best work with people.  

I remember Johnny working with the flamenco club on campus, who needed a room to meet in and couldn’t find one. Johnny went to the CSUF Athletics director and found a space for them. That’s what I love about being a student leader: to have the opportunity to see a need, get someone help and be a part of the solution.  

 14. If you had no fear, what’s the first thing you would do?   

 I would go paragliding because I’ve always wanted to fly.  

15. What’s one lesson you learned in college that you still use today? 

You get out of what you put in; whether it’s a relationship, a job or project. If you’re all in, you’re going to get so much out of it, grow and change for the better. In the end, you get to see the fruits of your labor. The harder you work, the better you feel at the end when you reach the finish line. 

 

As we wrapped up the interview with Siedentopp, she was adamant to leave us with this one thought.  

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of ASI and for all the roles I was able to hold. When I think about all the people I connected with, both students and professional staff, I’m especially thankful for how much they trusted and believed in me, and how they helped me grow into a better person. I find myself looking back on my time in ASI often and thinking, ‘Wow, what a special time that was. It was so fun and truly formative for me.’”

As Siedentopp reflects on her college years behind her, she looks ahead to her future of creativity and world-building as a writer. She is one of many student leaders whose time at ASI left a lasting impact for generations to come.  

To learn more about opportunities in ASI student leadership, visit the ASI website.