Katie Lightfoot

Age: 22

Year: Senior

Major: Bachelor of Science in General Science and a triple minor in Nonprofit Administration, Chemistry and Biology with a concentration in Pre-Medicine.

Katie Lightfoot has long helped kids with motor disabilities. This summer, she’s been appointed as the director at Boost Camp, an organization that specializes in helping those individuals. It was her work there that has already won her the National Youth Community Service Award.

Who most contributed to your experience at the UO?

I would like to say a huge thank you to all the children of Boost Camp I have helped over the past 10 years because they have shaped me into who I am today. They taught me to put aside my nervous self-doubt to become a positive mentor by believing in their possibilities to become independent. Together, we perfect our imperfections, by lending a helping hand to each other to overcome the barriers we face in our daily lives. They have given me strength, perseverance and determination to be the change I wish to see in the world.

Why are you at the UO?

I chose to come to the University of Oregon because I fell in love with the campus and what is means to be a Duck! I wanted to broaden my horizons with limitless opportunities to get involved with the campus community and the community at large: Greek Life, Newman Center, research labs, intramural sports, study abroad, etc., along with organizations like VIM and volunteering in the local hospitals and schools. I am grateful for the professors on this campus because they are invested in our personal success and we are not just a number. A special thanks to Rhonda Smith, both my professor and mentor.