Katlyn Gillen
Montana State University Billings
Katlyn Gillen is a junior studying Human Services and Minor in Psychology at Montana State University Billings (MSUB). Her passion is to become a counselor with a specialization working with children and young people.
Katlyn has been actively involved with MSUB TRIO Student Support Services since fall 2017. During this time she has proven herself to be an inspiring role model in her position as a Peer Mentor. She currently works with a caseload of Bachelor’s degree-seeking students who are first generation, low-income, or disabled - empowering them to succeed in life and in their academic careers.
Katlyn is a shining example of a first generation student who is excelling at her studies, with a 3.40 GPA, who is supporting other first generation students do just the same. In her spare time, Katlyn works tirelessly to champion her fellow students as President of the TRIO Advocates Club, involved in promoting a number of educational awareness and service development programs.
Katlyn is an amazing student who has taken the initiative to connect the campus to her community. She takes pride in her academic studies and continues to work closely with various departments both on and off campus to foster sustainable collaborative relationships.
Personal Statement
I first became involved in addressing issues of mental health by volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a big sister, using one-on-one mentoring to give children emotional support, positive relationships, and guidance. I began to be involved as President and District President of FCCLA, Family Career and Community Leaders of America, where I focused on the importance of families spending time together to help benefit children’s future. As years passed, I realized that I could do more for my community. I started speaking and volunteering at Out of the Darkness walks to help prevent suicide. I came to understand that there was a large population that suffer from more than just mental illness. I am currently President of TRIO Advocates and a Peer Mentor for TRIO Student Support Services helping MSU Billings college students that are low-income, first generation college student, or/and have a documented disability. I work every day to advocate for mental health and to help our community members to reach their full potential.
