Catie was born and raised in the great city of Buffalo, N.Y., where she developed her love of hockey, snow and—of course—chicken wings. It’s also where Catie nurtured her inherent love of people—one that evolved into her desire to work in politics with the goal of improving systems that provide people and communities with the opportunities to learn, grow and fulfill their visions of personal success.
Catie began her pursuit of this work at the University of Pittsburgh, graduating in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history and a minor in economics. She then accepted a job at a bipartisan government affairs firm in Washington, D.C. There she had the chance to work with leaders on Capitol Hill and in Federal Agencies to build out strategies for a variety of defense, education and health care clients.
Catie loved working in D.C, but after four years she yearned for a high-impact opportunity to make change at the state and local levels. This brought her back to Pittsburgh for the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs. Coro gave Catie the chance to work with a variety of nonprofits and elected officials in the Pittsburgh area, as well as consult on three community and policy focused projects.
Prior to joining PennCAN, Catie spent a summer reflecting on her work at Coro and traveling Sri Lanka. She now lives in Pittsburgh.
I aspire to be like Alison Des Forges. Here’s why:
As a senior advisor to the Human Rights Watch Africa Division for almost two decades, Alison became the world’s leading expert on the 1994 Rwandan genocide and its aftermath. She served as a key witness in 11 trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, three trials in Belgium, and at trials in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Canada.
Her colleagues at Human Rights Watch remember Alison as the consummate activist: principled, unemotional, committed to the truth and adept at using that truth to protect ordinary people. Alison did everything in her power to save those in harm, and I take inspiration every day from her perseverance and unwavering dedication to people in need.
My job lets me do what I love: transform a public system through the development of innovative policy. I am so proud to work for an organization that is dedicated to giving every kid, regardless of their background, their race or their socioeconomic status, the chance to lead a successful life by supporting great schools.
Although I attended private schools growing up, my mother and aunt are both public school teachers. Over the years I have watched them teach, counsel, console, encourage and inspire the children in their classrooms. This dedication inspired my interest in education policy, as well as my desire to join a movement that could impact the lives and futures of millions of children, families and communities.
I’m a social butterfly! I love to catch up with friends and meet new people, so staying quiet for an extended period of time is difficult for me.
Many people called 2012 the year of the woman, with a record number of women winning seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. When I look at this picture, I think about the teachers, guidance counselors, parents, and friends who supported these women along the way, fostering the dreams that led them to run for Congress. I believe that every child deserves this kind of support and a shot at a successful, purpose-driven life—this is why I work at PennCAN.