Katie Richard
University of Central OklahomaKatie Richard embodies the University of Central Oklahoma's core values of community, character and civility. She demonstrates a tangible commitment to improving the lives of others through hands-on service completed in the local community, her academic community and in domestic and international service settings. She has traveled to Guatemala four times since 2007 to build a relationship with a school and specifically a student and his family who are attendees at the school. Her personal and financial investments in the community in Guatemala are sure to pay off for years to come as her sponsorship has allowed a young man to have access to an education that would have otherwise been out of reach.
In addition to her service experiences, Katie has a professional goal of leading efforts and developing systems to comprehensively eradicate human trafficking. Such a bold and audacious goal may seem out of reach for most, but Katie's vision seems plausible given her passion, commitment, and capabilities. The University of Central Oklahoma is not only proud of what Katie has accomplished to date but also we are proud of the future that Katie is mapping out one experience at a time.
Personal Statement
I enjoy being an encouragement to others wherever they are in life. I serve as a sponsor for seventh-twelfth grade students at Community Church and love my service there. In my university community, I serve in multiple executive positions in student organizations which encourage involvement for incoming freshmen/transfer students.
Financial support is a key ingredient in the success of non-profit organizations, but relational support is mutually motivating for both the giver and receiver. The child I sponsor, a 13 year old boy, and I have a true friendship. My commitment to his education and his life is long lasting.
My love for community and global engagement go hand-in-hand. I've had the opportunity to visit 27 states and work at Mañana Gloriosa in San Raymundo, Guatemala (2007, 2009, 2011, 2014) advancing education. I will journey overseas to Saint Monica Girls School in Uganda in May to build a library.
While the aforementioned passions drive me today, my passion to eliminate human-trafficking drives my career goal to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and inspires me to travel the world encouraging children to continue their education in order to escape the cycle of poverty.