Katie’s story begins 4,800 miles east of Anchorage in Chongqing, China. There, barely one-year-old, she is about to get a second chance in life through an adoption by her new Alaskan parents. Joining a welcoming family, new doors will open for her in the process. It will impact the way she sees the world from here on out.

No matter how much things changed throughout her life, family was always the staple that held everything together. The youngest of 5 girls, her sisters often looked out for her and gave her great advice. Home offered her the freedom to let her imagination run wild as she imagined herself as the teacher to her collection of stuffed animals. The most influential person in her life, though, would often be the busiest.

Her mom always had a close relationship with her daughters – and patients – while climbing the ranks in the medical field. Yet the higher she advanced, and the more money she made, she was losing that one-on-one interaction she loved so much. One day, much to Katie’s surprise, her mom made a bold move. She quit the large healthcare organization where she’d spent most of her career and went back to working more hands-on with patients at her own practice. Katie didn’t understand the motivation at first, but it later taught her a valuable lesson: helping people is how you can live a truly rich life.

She embraced this notion and put it into practice repeatedly over the years. In 9th grade, through an outreach program, Katie did a work/study program in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, tutoring English at educational facilities. Later, as an exchange student in Ecuador at age 17, she learned about Latin American culture and a different way of life in impoverished communities. This all led to two startling realizations: there is a disturbing income discrepancy around the world, and she wanted immigrants to have the same opportunities in Alaska that she once did.

Katie has always been a doer making the most of her time. In school, if she wasn’t getting a 4.0 GPA, she would dig in to bring her grades up. This mentality served her well while striving for a UA Scholars Award. Only awarded to students in the top 10% of their Alaska high school class, this meant that Katie, who was in a graduating class of 30, would be one of only three. She rose to the occasion, and after receiving the award, decided to enroll at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).

Thoughts of walking through the student union, hanging out with friends, and embracing university life rushed through her head. As she started school, the coronavirus pandemic was still in full force. Classes took place virtually, and it was a challenge to get to know her classmates. Yet in the middle of it all, she found a sense of comfort living at home and navigating it all with family nearby.

Katie wasn’t content to sit still though. When not picking strings as an accomplished guitarist, she got to work picking from a variety of UAA extracurricular activities. She joined the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority which led to meeting someone who told her about the UAA Health Promotion Team where she focused on helping domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors. The following semester, she moved onto campus, became a Resident Advisor, and joined the Panhellenic Council and Model United Nations. It was a whirlwind, to say the least, and she was happy working with different people from all walks of life.

Her true calling came at the end of her sophomore year. The president of the Union of Students at the University of Alaska Anchorage (USUAA) was graduating, leaving the role open. A bit hesitant at first to run, Katie knew this was what she truly desired. It would be the perfect complement to her Political Science Major and Legal Studies and Spanish minors. This, along with everything else she’d accomplished, would help her move closer to her dream career of creating immigration reform in Alaska and helping the state’s system work better. She added her name to the mix and a majority agreed: there couldn’t be a more fitting new president. 

Katie’s story is still being written. Alaska can’t wait to see the next chapter.