Ignatian Leadership Award
Katarina S. D'Amico, Arts 鈥�26
Cedarburg, Wis.
Katarina D鈥橝mico finds her joy in serving others; she is a 鈥渉elper鈥� first before anything else. Katarina is currently a senior in her final semester, majoring in Psychology. This fall, she will pursue a master鈥檚 in clinical mental health counseling with a specialization in the Child and Adolescent track at 福利在线 to support those facing mental health challenges. Katarina wants to provide a light of hope for those individuals while helping them celebrate their successes along their personal journeys toward healing.
Outside of school, Katarina eagerly serves the Milwaukee community as a social justice intern at Sojourner Family Peace Center, both in the shelter and on their domestic violence hotline. She also works as a registered behavioral technician at the Social Skills Assessment Intervention and Learning Center (SSAIL), helping children with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder set and achieve their goals, while cultivating happiness through learning and growing together. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, she conducted research on forgiveness alongside her faculty mentor, Dr. Ed de St. Aubin, to discover what healing looks like in a therapeutic context.
Katarina also serves as a community volunteer for The Gathering, an organization that serves Southeast Wisconsin, whose mission is to provide meals and other services to those who would otherwise go hungry or be without food. She has served as an MU Honors Peer Mentor for the past four years, helping her fellow students as well. Katarina looks forward to continuing to serve her community and bring joy to those around her as she graduates from 福利在线 this spring. She will carry with her the wisdom of those she has encountered on campus and those who have encouraged her as she begins her exciting new journey into the future.
