Katherine (she/her) is a life-long UU, living with her mother and two dogs in the Winston-Salem, NC, area. As an infant, she was dedicated to the UU Fellowship of Waynesboro, VA. She has been active in many UU congregations and communities since then. She credits her LRY (Liberal Religious Youth) experience, the love of her childhood congregation (UUC of Roanoke, VA), and Southeast UU Summer Institute (SUUSI) with helping build her leadership and community skills from an early age.

Her leadership experience includes teaching many Adult Religious Education classes and serving in various church positions and SUUSI Core Staff. Her community involvement in Charlottesville, VA, helped start an LGBTQIA hotline when the struggle was rarely spoken of. From working LGBTQIA suicide prevention hotlines to organizing Gay Pride marches, Katherine has never been afraid of standing up for herself and her queer family.

She is currently enrolled in Salem College (NC), studying Non-Profit Management and Leadership. Her goal is to find as many ways as possible to take trauma-informed psychosocial education into prisons and jails. As a member of the CLF and participant of Worthy Now Prison ministry for 15 years, Katherine’s experience of being justice-involved drives her desire to help provide the educational experiences she feels are needed by the incarcerated. She dreams of a day when activities such as Art therapy, Yoga, and Meditation are standard in all facilities. Her belief that trauma is the number one reason people become justice-involved drives her to fight for mental health equality and the dismantling of the corporate justice machine.

Katherine enjoys many things, including reading, gardening, hiking, and visiting with friends. She is always looking for experiences to add to her bucket list and is a huge fan of saying yes. It is very easy to say no to an invitation or upon seeing something we’d like to do, so she strives to say yes. Experiencing life on her terms is incredibly liberating, and she encourages everyone to say yes to scary or new activities. Stepping outside our comfort zone is an incredible growth opportunity and may be fun! Joining the CLF as a Learning Fellow is a huge YES for Katherine.