Graduate student continues legacy of leadership with Wingate community

Lindsey Woodruff

Staff Writer

One of Wingate University’s graduate assistants, Katie Mower, started working for Wingate after graduating from the university in May 2009. Katie is from Charles County, Md., where she still calls home today. She is an only child and shares a close relationship with her parents. When applying for colleges to attend after graduation, Katie discovered her love for the small campus of Wingate. She said, “I was looking for a college in the South with a great Education program and Wingate turned out to be everything I was looking for.” Katie majored in Education where her emphasis was on elementary students.

During her time as a student, she was a member of many organizations. She became a sister of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, where she served as president and vice president of programs. She said, “I never thought I would ever join a sorority coming into college, but my roommate talked me into seeing what it was about. I met some amazing women and found that it just fit.” She was also an active member of FCA, SGA for two years, a member of the Education Club and a student teacher for a semester in her senior year. “Student teaching kept me extremely busy, but it’s a great opportunity to learn firsthand what teaching will be like,” she said.

Katie is now the graduate assistant for leadership and a residence director. “Getting the position as graduate assistant was a great memory for me. I applied for the Greek program first, but the position I’m working in now was a brand new program and it was offered to me,” she said. “I was hired on the spot and it was the best thing that could have happened. I was given a job where I work with people I already knew and it made things so much better!” Katie also wants to earn her master’s from Wingate, and as a graduate assistant she has the opportunity to be in the Masters of Education program here.

Besides maintaining discipline in the residence halls, Katie is in charge of Leadership Fellows, a four year program that helps students build leadership skills. “I work with seniors on leaving a legacy after graduation and I work alongside Laura Ulmer on putting together the Lyceums,” she said. Katie teaches the leadership class for sophomores in the program and is a mentor for them. In class, she talks with students about topics such as where they see themselves in two years because of what Leadership Fellows has taught them. In addition to lesson planning, she works on team building and encourages her students to lead and support one another in and out of the classroom.

In five years, Katie sees herself, “working on my doctorate. I want to continue in higher education and then maybe move back home to continue my studies there.” A quote from Walt Disney that has inspired Katie to get through her life as a college student and now employee is, “All your dreams will come true if we have that courage to pursue them.”

From student to graduate assistant, Katie continues to make an impression on the Wingate community. In one word, she describes herself as “determined.”