Katie is from Massachusetts. She was adopted from Russia as an infant by her mother, and it wasn't until she was in the United States that she was diagnosed with profound hearing loss. As with all our grantees, Katie did not let her hearing loss stop her. During high school, she excelled in school with a stellar GPA and was involved in many activities. In particular, she was a soccer standout, both on her high school team as well as on her club team. She was also involved in the LOFT leadership group of the Alexander Graham Bell Association and was in the National Honor Society. Katie has worked at Michael's Crafts, Dunkin Donuts, and a local after-school program for children. She now works at the MBTA as a Staff Assistant in the Accessibility Department. Katie now attends the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and will gradutate in May 2022. She plans to ultimately earn an MBA, as well as to become an advocate for deaf and hard of hearing individuals after college. Katie is also incredibly passionate about lifting weights and fitness, and has joined the UMass powerlifting team. She is also passionate about American Sign Language and is currently enrolled in ongoing ASL education.