Q&A With Katharine Carvalho

So what’d you get for Christmas? TCU freshman and Fort Worth resident, Katharine Carvalho got the chance of a lifetime as she won a new Buick and a trip to both the Allstate Sugar Bowl and BCS National Championship. Frogs O’War did a Q&A with Katharine to talk about her experience.

Frogs O'War: Thank you for doing this

Katharine Carvalho: No Problem. Thanks for having me.

FoW: Let’s Start This Way, For those Who May Not Know, Explain How This Whole Thing Started

KC: It was actually at the TCU vs LSU game… The Cowboys Classic. Me and my friends were walking and All-State was handing out free shirts and I was like, "This is what I need!" So I went up to them and I asked if I could have a free shirt and they said I had to sign up for the contest. It took about 5 minutes, I got the t-shirt and I never thought of it again. Low and behold that one submission got me the prize.

FoW: Have you always been a big football fan?

KC: Yes, definitely. I used to live in Philadelphia and we were big football fans, but moving to Texas made us bigger ones. So I’m always a fan of going to games.

FoW: So you’re an Eagles fan?

KC: I am an Eagles fan. It’s hard [being an Eagles fan] down here (laughs)

FoW: Try being a Cowboys fan. That’s true pain. Where were you when you found out you’d won?

KC: I was studying for a quiz in my dorm when my called me mom called and asked if I’d entered a contest. At first, I had no idea what she was talking about and then she told me I’d won. Then it all came back to me and remembered the free t-shirt.

It was all very shocking.

FoW: The first game you went to was the Sugar Bowl. Did they fly you out?

KC: Yes, they flew us out and paid for the hotels. It was very nice.

FoW: It says your family cheers for both Auburn and TCU. Explain that a bit.

KC: My sister will attending Auburn next fall.

FoW: So who’d you take to the game(s)?

KC: Well my parents wanted to make sure I had a chaperone, so I took my dad, my sister and a friend from school to the Sugar Bowl. Then, I took my mom, my sister, and a high school friend to the BCS Championship.

FoW: You got to watch the Sugar Bowl with Kirk Herbstreit. How was that?

KC: Oh, it was a lot of fun. We got to sit with him in the box and he was so nice. He sat with us, talked to my dad about the game, talked to my sister Caroline about how Auburn was going to do against Florida State.

He was just so friendly. A very cool guy.

FoW: So was watching Alabama get beat in New Orleans a nice bonus?

KC: Alabama’s a great team but I wanted OU to win SO bad.

FoW: It was nice for the Big 12 to get the win over the SEC Juggernaut.

KC: EXACTLY.

FoW: Pasadena is a pretty magical place, I went there for the Rose Bowl in 2011. What was it like seeing the last BCS National Championship there?

KC: In all honesty, it was very surreal. The [BCS Games] have been instituted for so long, that you didn’t really think of it as the last one. So as I was walking to the car, I just thought to myself "Wow you’re never going to see another BCS Championship or any of these ‘BCS games’ again. They’re all gone."

Seeing the last one, I’m pretty fortunate. Not a lot of people can say that.

FoW: The game itself was pretty wild. So having an investment in Auburn, do you happen to have a favorite player?

KC: My sister’s a big fan of [Tre] Mason.

FoW: I am too. Have you ever listened to De La Soul? Mason’s dad is one of the members.

KC: No, I have not! (laughs)

FoW: Hip-band from late 80s, early 90s. You should check them out.

KC: Very Cool! I will.

FoW: You go to TCU and you grew up an Eagles fan, but where does the [2014 BCS National Championship] rank with other games you’ve seen in person?

KC: Definitely the top. Not only was it the National Championship, but the game itself was very thrilling. I think it definitely goes at the top as far as games I’ve been to. As much as I am a TCU fan, that game was a really good game.

FoW: Oh yeah, you also won a car.

KC: I did. I won a Buick Enclave. As my friend told me that I won "Luxurious soccer mom car". I was like great! I’ll take it! That’s a nice car. (Laughs)

FoW: What was your biggest takeaway from this whole experience?

KC: At both of the games I stopped and took myself back… to be with my sister and spend time with her in addition to being around the college students, who were so psyched up for the games. Just realizing what a great passion the fans had for the game was truly amazing.

Being apart of the last BCS National Championship game was truly amazing as well.

FoW: Well, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to chat with us. Appreciate it and Go Frogs!

KC: Go Frogs!