Katy W

Katy grew up outside a central Kansas farm town and spent her time outdoors pursuing “country kid” activities digging up cow bones, catching crawdads and riding horses. During college, she took a summer internship at a non-profit in Memphis and stayed two years, living, and working closely with the vibrant immigrant community, cultivating an interest in other cultures and languages. Deciding she wanted to learn Spanish via immersion, she moved to Colombia for six months to volunteer with an NGO and then returned home to finish school, graduating with degrees in Latin American Studies and Anthropology from the University of Kansas.

Continuing to travel, Katy spent a year studying coffee production and trade practices in Guatemala, exploring the beautiful nature in her free time. Realizing she preferred the jungle to the prairie, she worked several summers for a teen adventure travel company, Rustic Pathways. She led groups of high school students through Costa Rica, Peru and Thailand rafting, surfing, and hiking in some of the countries’ most beautiful places. For her, the best part was spending time with the students in the countries’ remote locations without internet service, electricity, and other comforts, and experiencing the group dynamics and deeper connections that were formed away from distractions and out of their comfort zones.

When not exploring abroad, Katy enjoys cooking, reading, exploring in her kayak, and planning her dream trip to explore Patagonia on horseback.