Who I Am - My Personal Statement.

My name is Katie. I am a woman trying to constantly be better, do better, and serve with pure intentions. That is it.

I am not special, nor am I insignificant. I am not a victim or a survivor. I am not perfect, nor am I damaged. I am not sober or an addict. I have good habits and bad habits. I have a past better than some, and worse than others. What I know for certain is that all the life I have lived was necessary for me to acquire the tools required to fulfill my purpose. I am meant to serve the people who have had to navigate the best and worst of life. People like me. People who have divorced and had to deal with the collateral damage. People like the step-parent, trying to navigate a relationship, a job, new parental responsibilities, and mental health. Individuals like the woman who is trying to excel in a male-dominated industry. Youth like the teenager who is trying to thrive while dealing with a dependent, chronically ill parent and a parent with an addiction. Trauma victims like the child who went through years of profound violation, shattering the ability to trust; never saying a word about it, trying to push it all down and away, as if it never happened.  People like my community members, peers, friends, and family. I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone. But that doesn’t mean I’m done. I still want to prove what’s possible — for me, for the ones watching, for the ones who think they can’t.

It is my calling to help individuals overcome, thrive, and succeed. My passion has always been to help people. I worked in healthcare for the better part of 15 years, and I have been a volunteer firefighter and a member of ground search and rescue for just short of a decade. I am drawn to serve those around me.

Psychology has always been an interest of mine. Unfortunately, I allowed myself to be influenced by what those around me thought I should pursue and societal norms. My dreams and aspirations quickly fell to the wayside. Throughout the past year, I have pursued deep spiritual and personal development. I gained knowledge and confidence that I had never known before. I know now, more than ever, who I am at my core. I know what my values are, and I have been able to build my moral compass stronger than ever. I have discovered what I am meant to do with my life. In my soul, I know that I am meant to be there for others in their times of need. I am also there to support people as they recover, discover, strive for higher, and achieve their true potential.

My dream for life is to go back to school and continue building a thriving private practice that offers various resources in one place, making help easy and accessible. I will dedicate my time primarily towards first responders, though I will also be available to the general public. I want to provide special pricing to first responders to help bridge any gaps that they may be experiencing. In Manitoba, most first responders are paid on-call volunteers. This means they have regular jobs, families, and most are barely making ends meet financially - yet they still dedicate their spare time to responding to other people's emergencies. They may attend an extremely traumatic call, then return to the hall, clean up, and return to work or home as if nothing ever happened. They have no outlet. There are a lot of mental health, addiction, and other issues that individuals do not know how to manage, and the resources are not provided adequately by their employers (the Province of Manitoba and its respective municipalities). To further my goals of serving my community, I have a deep desire to volunteer my time through community outreach initiatives to support this vulnerable population.

I hope that this personal statement clearly illustrates my goals and intentions.

I want to have a positive impact to the lives of the people around me.

I wrote a version of this for my Rhodes’s College Application. I was accepted, however have had to post-pone until finances can be figured out.