Katie first discovered the joy of teaching while she was in high school, when she was asked to serve as a tutor in a struggling Algebra 1 class. She loved helping students master something they had previously struggled with. From there she went to Oklahoma Christian University, where she graduated with a B.F.A. in 2007. After her college training, Katie moved to Yichang, China, where she taught English for two years at the China Three Gorges University. Living in China deepened her appreciation for different perspectives and for strong community.
Katie moved back to the U.S. in 2010 to manage a small law firm in Oklahoma City, while she prepared for graduate school. During that time, Katie’s passion for literacy led her to volunteer with the Oklahoma City Literacy Center, helping adults learn to read and write. She then moved to Chicago and earned her M.A. in English from Loyola University Chicago in 2012, where she continued to volunteer, this time with the Loyola Literacy Center. After earning her master’s degree, Katie taught writing and literature courses at both the City Colleges of Chicago and Prairie State College in Chicago. She also worked as a tutor in the college’s writing center. Teaching in Chicago increased Katie’s passion for diversity in education, and her desire to give every student access to outstanding instruction. Katie moved to Nashville in 2014 to teach English at Nashville Prep Charter School in northwest Nashville. She taught 7th grade literacy and global lit to an amazing group of students before joining Valor’s team in 2015.
Aside from her love of literacy, Katie also enjoys running, biking, and mountain-climbing. She reads voraciously in her free time and can’t wait to share many of her favorite books with her students.
