Forging a Path

Love of Summer Camps Leads our New Youth Leader to a Career

Our new youth leader is a summer camp kid. Kate Howton has attended summer camps since she was in the fourth grade.

She worked her way up to assistant director at a camp in New Hampshire. Her introduction to camp was at the Proctor Center, which our Rev. Jane Gerdsen and her husband Rob encouraged Kate to attend. Kate’s family and the Gerdsen's attended the same Episcopal church, All Saints, in Pleasant Ridge.

“That’s how I fell in love with summer camp work,” Kate said. “I could be whoever I wanted to be.” She added that summer camp was the only place where there were no expectations.

Having started work in October, Kate will help strengthen and continue to build our youth program. Born in Cincinnati, she attended a Catholic school. After her parents moved to Ft. Thomas KY, Kate switched to a public high school. During this time, Kate was assisting with Sunday school at All Saints. She was already forging a path to some kind of work with kids.

At Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond , Kate focused her love of working with kids into a degree in social work. She originally wanted to work with foster care kids, but since she graduated in May, her focus is looking more at kids and their activities through a different lens.

Kate plans right now to formulate some organized activities once a week and a bigger event once a month. “ For instance, Sophia Rapp will dance in the “Nutcracker” this year, and I’d like to invite the kids to go to see her perform and support her,” Kate said.

A bundle of energy, Kate spends her spare time rock climbing, weightlifting or reading. “I like to travel and to put myself in uncomfortable situations where I can grow.”

Please give Kate a warm welcome to the St. Barnabas family!

Written by our Contributing Editor - Pat Taylor