Nice to Meet You!
Did you know that the In and Out-of-School Time field has some of the greatest working professionals that ‘Inspire Youth, Inspire Learning, and Inspire Change’ year-round? TEAMBOOST proudly features BOOST Partners, Ambassadors, and Leadership Team members in the GTKY (Getting to Know You) collaborative blog series! Today, we are happy to Get To Know BOOST Ambassador, Kaitlin Brown (She/her).
Thank you, Kaitlin, for your meaningful contributions to the BOOST community! We appreciate you!
Get to Know BOOST Ambassador Kaitlin Brown (She/her)
Kaitlin is the Site Coordinator at North Middle and Central High School for Black Hills Special Services Cooperative in Rapid City, SD.
My children. I thought I did not want children until halfway through my first pregnancy when it started to become and feel real. Being able to watch my children grow and see the world through their eyes has helped me slow down and be more present for my students. My middle and high schoolers get a better me because I can see my child struggle through and solve problems on his own. I have been able to help my students by being that guiding voice when they need a confidence boost or a sounding board. In turn, I use my life to show that not everything is picture-perfect and that its “ok” to be human.
Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them!
Yes! 1 cat named Ghost. I adopted him 5 days after my husband left for Basic Training and wrote my husband a “dear John” letter telling him about our new cat. I grew up having a cat my whole life so living on my own and not having a pet of some sort felt odd to me, while my husband had never had a pet and had no desire to get one. I found our cat at our local humane shelter and he was “born” on our first wedding anniversary so it was meant to be. We have had Ghost for 6 years and now our children are starting to love on him and want to play with him.
What go-to song would you sing at Karaoke night?
Any Spice Girl song!
I’m an expert packer when it comes to traveling. I can fit 10 days’ worth of clothes, shoes, makeup, etc. into a carry-on or fit a family of 4 for a week into a large suitcase without going over the 50-pound limit. My family always calls me to help pack.
Favorite animal noise?
Duck
What is your most treasured book to read?
I have no one particular book that is a constant comfort read but it has been fun getting to watch my children read my favorite children’s books that I had gathered when I was getting ready to become a Kindergarten teacher. Kindle Unlimited is my new BFF because it allows me to read books constantly!
Share an inspirational quote that resonates with you.
My grandma always told me “Kaitlin, the only thing you can do when life is hard or you’re scared or you don’t know, is to take ‘one step at a time.'” I have lived by this saying my entire life. Every bump in the road, every wall, every curve, I have thought to myself “all I can do is push forward and to take it ‘one step at a time'”.
If you could be any person for a day, who would you be and why?
JKO-Jacque Kennedy Onassis for her fashion sense and her philanthropic endeavors in restoring the White House.
What advice would you give your teenage self?
Try it all- sports, hobbies, crafts, activities, etc. because one day you are going to look back and wish that you had tried everything. Be kind to your parents; they don’t always have the correct answers but are trying their best to make a happy life for you and your family.
If you really knew me you would know that…
I LOVE (LOVE) dt. Coke. Cake solves all of life’s problems. Naps are wasted on babies and toddlers (just kidding, babies and toddlers REALLY need naps but so do adults). If I start to clean, just back away!!
Today for breakfast I had…
a Starbucks chocolate croissant and a caramel macchiato.
From all of us here at TEAMBOOST, thank you, Kaitlin, for sharing your leadership with us. You are a wonderful partner and a shining light for youth!