Biography
It is the farthest Katie — a Columbus, Ohio, native — ever has traveled, and what she found at her destination in South Africa was both reassuringly familiar and intriguingly different.
During the Global Experiential Module with 35 classmates, they touched down first in Johannesburg, where they visited companies such as PwC, The Coca-Cola Company, and Vodacom (which, impressively, provides coverage to Mount Kilimanjaro). At the African Leadership Academy, a secondary school, Katie was impressed by what these students, hailing from 45 countries, share with Goizueta students — namely, a passion for developing their leadership and entrepreneurial skills, even to the point of starting their own businesses while in school.
On safari at the Entabeni Game Reserve, Katie took in unforgettable views of the animals, including an unexpected close-up of a charging rhino that her van driver deftly evaded. A trip to Robben island, where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held during apartheid, was a powerful reminder of the value of holding true to deeply held principles.
Says Katie, “It’s incredible to think that just two weeks of a global experience in South Africa had a permanent impact on the way I think, but it’s true. The experiences I had broadened my perspective and changed my outlook forever.”