Before Katherine set foot inside a BGCA-affiliated Youth Center, she was an introverted child who kept to herself and dreaded meeting new people. When she first walked into the Youth Center at Fort Campbell at the age of 7, she was terrified. Then she looked around and saw nothing but smiling faces. It immediately felt like home.

A few years later, Katherine moved to Fort Knox, where she quickly got involved with the Youth Center and blossomed into the leader she is today. The self-confidence she gained as a Youth Center member empowered Katherine to take on leadership roles including junior class president of her high school and a praise and worship team leader of her church youth group.

The Youth Center also provided comfort when Katherine dealt with her father’s deployment, and remained a pillar of emotional support and guidance through tough times Katherine has faced.

Katherine plans to attend the University of California Los Angeles and hopes to pursue a career as a pediatrician.