Katherine is a South Carolina native and graduated from Clemson University with a degree in communication studies. As a student, Katherine was given the opportunity to work in marketing and community outreach as an intern at a local retirement community for two years. During this internship, along with other extracurricular activities she was involved in, Katherine realized outreach and engagement were things she was passionate about and wanted to do long-term with her career. Upon graduating, Katherine moved back to her hometown of Lexington, SC, where she worked as a marketing liaison for the local branches of a national physical therapy company. Here, she focused on creating and maintaining professional relationships with community partners to generate referrals. After a few years, she moved on to work at a nonprofit that focuses on leadership development for community leaders and stakeholders across South Carolina. In this role, she helped coordinate nine conferences across the state and continued to build professional relationships with both corporate and local partners.

Katherine has family members, friends, and previous colleagues who have served in the military, so she’s seen firsthand how difficult the transition from service member to civilian can be. This, along with her work experience, gives her  the insight and tools to be able to advocate for these students and help them feel seen and heard. She hopes to also assist them in building both personal and professional relationships to set themselves up for success.