Public Speaking
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Speaking Topic:
Find Your Something
Listen as Katherine tells her story, complete with both physical and emotional challenges, and how finding her place in the art world helped her navigate every obstacle thrown her in her way. From the get go, her parents taught her to never feel sorry for herself and never enabled her in any way, and today Katherine’s art is the basis of her successful business, KAK ART & Designs.
The audience will leave with:
- Motivation to try new things, set personal goals and commit to achieving those goals
- The first steps on the road to “finding their somethings” and creating a sense of purpose in their lives
- The urge to change their lives for the better, not only for their own benefit but for the benefit of those around them
- A new perspective
This program is perfect for:
- Teenagers/high school students
- College students
- Medical students
- Educators
- Medical personnel
- Women’s groups
- Women in business
- Entrepreneurial organizations
Speaking Topic:
The Importance of School Inclusion
In recent years, the conversation around school inclusion has evolved to highlight the profound benefits of integrating disabled children into mainstream educational settings. Not only does this approach foster a sense of belonging and community for disabled students, but it also enriches the educational experience for able-bodied peers, promoting empathy and understanding from an early age.
The audience will leave with:
- A new perspective about the advantages of including disabled kids in a mainstream school setting for both the disabled students and the able-bodied ones
- Ideas of how to successfully include disabled students in a mainstream school setting
- Realization of HOW school inclusion can impact a child later on as an adult
This program is perfect for:
- Educators
- Education Administrators
- High School Students
- College Students (particularly education majors)
Speaking Topic:
I Have OI & That’s OK
Through much trial and error, Katherine and her parents have found alternative therapies and treatments to control her pain and that allow her not to rely on heavy medications to function. Listen as she describes her day to day life, reminding us that there is more than one way to skin a cat and that every patient should be treated as an individual. Protocols are excellent guidelines but they are just that – guidelines. They are there to guide you, but a truly good doctor, physical therapist, nurse or other medical professional can think outside the box and has an open mind when it comes to patient care.
The audience will leave with:
- An deeper understanding of what living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta is like
- A new perspective about how to live with a disability
- A new experience that will help them understand their patients more fully within their profession
This program is perfect for:
- Medical Professionals
- Medical Students
- Physical/Occupational Therapists
- Physical/Occupational Therapy Students
- Rehab Therapists
Testimonials
“I have known Katherine for over 20 years, working with her professionally through engaging her to speak to students in Delgado’s Physical Therapist Assistant program over the last couple of years. This past year, I included students from Delgado’s Occupational Therapist Assistant Program. Both groups of students were so impressed with her ability to teach them about her disability in great detail, but also at a level they could understand and relate to. She reads her audience well. She was open and honest during the question and answer period, and this added greatly to the presentation. I would happily have her back. Her story is certainly unique, inspirational and she makes it entertaining, too. She is a clever, funny, young woman—one you will want to get to know!”
Cindy Barrios, PT
“The class [Katherine] went through St. Paul’s with was different from any other group. They were more sensitive to the needs of others (not just Katherine’s). I believe that they were better people because of the years they spent working and playing side by side with her.”
Debbie Waldmann (1st grade teacher)
“Over the past several years, Katherine has spoken to my classes in the School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The audiences included graduate students in rehabilitation counseling and as well as occupational therapy and physical therapy students. They need to learn technical, therapeutic information to prepare them for their careers. Equally important, they need to acquire realistic psychosocial understanding of the daily experiences of people with various disabilities. That understanding explains the direct and nuanced application of the medical/therapeutic principles and processes they will apply in their jobs. I found Katherine a great demonstration of that real-life exposure to disability issues, successes, and challenges. Thus, she served to be a source for both their technical and social learning.
Henry McCarthy, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
Katherine is articulate and comfortable sharing her diverse experiences managing her disability and getting it accommodated so that she can live a full life of self-employment, self-care, and recreation. Her disability is quite unusual and complicated, so her story and strategies are not what one is likely to get exposed to through mainstream media. She brings her ambitions and hard work as a well-rounded artist, entrepreneur, and citizen of the world. Her positive outlook, despite her physical challenges, gave my students a holistic perception of their professional subject matter and helped them see that there is always a way if one just tries. I love how Katherine shares her talent and personal journey through art; and how it not only allowed her passion to blossom but also gave her financial stability.”