Tell us about your background. Are you originally from Atlanta?

I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where most of my family still resides. My immediate family moved to Fernandina Beach, FL when I was 9, and my parents still live there! It’s a beautiful place to vacation and visit.

Where did you attend University?

I attained my bachelor’s in Psychology at the University of Florida, and then went on to get my master’s degree from San Francisco State University in sexuality studies. I absolutely loved my time at both institutions!

Can you tell us a little bit about your previous experience in this field?

My previous experience includes volunteering at a crisis center while I was in my senior year at UF, which consisted of answering the crisis/suicide hotline at the center. After I obtained my master’s degree, I started volunteering at a rape crisis center in Jacksonville, FL as a sexual assault victim advocate while I was looking for a job in my field. Shortly after I started volunteering, I got a job at a local domestic violence shelter as a shelter/victim advocate, and I worked both of those positions until I came to Georgia Tech!

What influenced you to be a Victim Survivor Advocate?

I would have to say my influence would be just a general caring about these issues and the people it affects. From a young age, I noticed injustices surrounding gender and social norms about violence that bothered me, and as I moved along in my academic career and the interests I surrounded myself with, I began to see them more as a serious issue. The sole fact that these issues (sexual assault and intimate partner violence) happen on such a grand scale, coupled with the fact that it hardly even gets addressed in a real way, made me passionate about the cause. My time in San Francisco really solidified the nature of these issues, and the way they affect people in every aspect of their lives. I just want to do something about it.

Do you have any specific goals for this position?

Too many to list! My basic goal is to help as many people as I can, whatever that looks like. If someone was dealing with these issues earlier in life, I want to help them come to terms and heal. If this is something on-going (intimate-partner violence)  or something that happened very recently (sexual assault), I want to help them with resources and anything they would need to get them the justice they deserve, as well as starting the healing process. Basically, whatever the victim-survivor needs, I want to help them get it- that’s my main goal in this position.  

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Food! Oh and yoga. I like to be outdoors, go to concerts/festivals, anything with music and good company!

Do you have a particular artist/album you’ve been loving lately?

Kendrick Lamar is my favorite rapper, and his most recent album is definitely still on the forefront of my playlist.

What’s your absolute favorite place in Atlanta?

Anywhere with amazing food. I’m a total foodie, so I’m still exploring all the great restaurants the city has!

What do you think about Georgia Tech so far?

I love Georgia Tech so far! I’ve only been here a week and a half, but I get a great sense of community among staff, which is so important in addressing these issues we’re facing.

Any suggestions for students for finding a healthy lifestyle? 

Balance, balance, balance! Trust me, I've learned this working  in my field, that you cannot be a great advocate for someone if you personally are not in a good mindset/emotional place. The same goes for being a student- you can't put your best work forward if you can't even give yourself a break once in a while. Going through graduate school and experiencing panic attacks over workload and pressure, you just need to take a step back! Because all that did for me was make it harder to do good work.

Welcome, Katy, you are truly a great addition to Georgia Tech and the Center for Community Health and Wellbeing!