Not many college-age students are completely sure of who they are or what they want to be, but Katie McKinney is an exception to the rule.
A junior, criminology major, Katie has dreams of pursuing her masters degree after graduation and eventually her doctorate. Ultimately, Katie would like to be a criminology professor.
But education is not Katie’s only passion. She is also very enthusiastic about animals, music, and activism – especially feminist activism.
Katie carries out her love for activism with the help of her on campus job. She is an AWAREness peer educator at IUP’s Center for Health and Well-Being, planning awareness campaigns about college health issues. These campaigns touch on subjects that range from healthy relationships to positive body image. More recently, Katie has been working fervently to plan IUP’s annual Take Back the Night event.
“Take Back the Night is a nationwide event that raises awareness about sexual assault, as well as shows support for any victims or survivors,” said Katie.
IUP’s TBTN will be taking place on Wednesday, April 15th at 8PM and kicks off with a march beginning in the Putt-Delaney courtyard. After the march, there will be a speak out in the HUB Ohio Room during which victims and survivors are encouraged to speak about their experiences.
Says Katie about the event, “The whole evening is very empowering and I really recommend coming!”
Though Katie is very driven, she admits that there are other people in her life that inspire her. Namely, Walt Disney. She also admires the IUP student body, for she loves the amount of passion that people possess for different causes on campus.
As for her fellow college students, Katie has some sage advice to offer: “Be yourself! When I first came to IUP, I was very self-conscious and worried about what other people thought of me.”
Katie was soon able to have a change of heart. “I eventually realized that all that matters is that YOU are happy with yourself, so don’t try to change yourself to ‘fit in.’”
But most importantly, Katie says it’s important to take care of yourself. “Take time to relax! There’s a lot to do in college, but it’s okay to say no to things and take some time for yourself.”