Meet Kate
My best days growing up on Long Island were spent either near the ocean, in front of a blank canvas with colorful paints, writing in my journal, or behind a camera lens. Art has always been a passion of mine. Throughout middle school and high school, I studied film/digital photography, painting, and illustration. In 2008, I traded in the sea for the mountains when I began studying at the University of Vermont. I quickly added screen printing, digital art, and wheel throwing to my repertoire as I declared a 2nd major in Studio Art (my 1st, Psychology).
I (have) had grand plans of becoming an Art Therapist and was on track to do so after I completed my undergraduate degree in 2012. I began counseling and teaching art at secured, at-risk youth residential facility. My regular shifts were 56 hours long and with additionally teaching art every day, I was averaging 80 hour work weeks for almost three years. I loved this trauma-informed work and truly believed that many of the kids I worked with found light and relief in artistic expression, but I burnt myself out and needed a change. Being fresh out of college, I wasn’t quite familiar with the phrase “work-life balance”, which I now know requires more of a 40-hour per week situation.
In 2014, I had a desire to explore the nonprofit sector and began working as an after school teacher at a local nonprofit youth center. While not exclusively the art teacher, many of the activities I held during “choice time” were held in the art studio. Nonprofit work is very rewarding, however my hours weren’t enough to pay my bills. Simultaneously, I began working part-time at an automotive digital marketing company helping build a prolific, award-winning Corporate Social Responsibility program comprised of grant-making and volunteerism.
After the 2015 school year ended, I left my post at the youth center and moved full-time into Corporate Social Responsibility. My role is managing community relationships and enhancing employee engagement in the volunteer program, much of through digital marketing. I am responsible for writing companywide communications to promote volunteer events and celebrate our corporate giving, help manage a weekly companywide newsletter, curate social media posts for our external audience and well as our employees, plan companywide events, curate our 148,000 sq. ft. office, and help manage the health & wellness program. I am familiar with wearing many different hats and am constantly problem-solving ways to fill gaps in order to prevent inefficiencies.
Most recently, I earned a Digital Marketing Fundamentals Professional Certificate from the University of Vermont, where I studied everything from social media and email marketing to search engine optimization and search engine marketing. Adding this valuable education to my resume tremendously helped amplify my skillset and knowledge in the digital space.
My mother always told me that when I was little, I wouldn't do something until I was absolutely sure I could do it perfectly. I’d observe my twin brother fail at trying to walk over and over again. When I was confident I could walk without falling, I made my first steps. I might have been a little late to the game, but my execution was perfect. My learning speed has certainly heightened since then, but it was way back then that I developed a colossal desire to be the best version of myself.
In working with you, my goals are to to help your business be the best version of itself, and give you confidence in the way your company shows up in the world, both digitally and in-person.
