career exploration & workforce development ... FOR GIRLS!
Katie knew that she wanted to work in something related to history/anthropology and although she wasn’t sure what she could do in terms of a career, she did know that she did not want to sit at a desk all day. After she graduated high school, she attended MSUB part time while working. After a year, which she says was truly the most difficult year she has ever had as an adult, she moved to Missoula, Montana to attend the University of Montana. Throughout her college career Katie says that she worked 30-40 hours a week as a barista. Juggling work and school was not at all easy but it showed Katie just how much she was capable of and though the struggle was hard at times, she can look back now and see just how far she has come.
In her position as Assistant Director for Re:Purpose Savannah, a women+ led 501(c)3 nonprofit establishing a sustainable future through the deconstruction and reuse of historic buildings, Katie leads their deconstruction team in the field. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Architectural History from the Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Montana, where she also minored in African American studies.
When asked if she has ever felt out of place in a job because she is a woman Katie says that growing up she always knew that she could do whatever she wanted to do and be whatever she wanted to be. She does tend to feel inadequate at times because she lacks some of the skills that others around her have mastered but then she remembers that she can learn at her own pace and her mastery of a skill is inevitable if she continues to push through and never stop learning.
Katie says that if she could go back and give her 18-year-old self some advice it would be to find balance in life where you are happy and have a job you love; money isn’t everything. She would also tell her to never let anyone tell her that she is too aggressive or that you need to “tone it down”, they can adjust. She also wants to encourage the younger generation to learn to talk on the phone and to talk to adults and industry professionals. Building your communication skills will help you get much further a bit faster.
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