Katie started in the admissions department at Hope in September 2025. She’s an admissions representative, and her territory includes a few schools along the Michigan lakeshore as well as the southwest Chicago suburbs and southern Illinois.

Education

Katie graduated from Central College (Pella, Iowa) in 1993 with a B.A. in English. After working in marketing and human resources for a handful of years, she attained her teaching certificate through GVSU. In 2008, she completed her Master of Education from GVSU.

Professional Experience

She comes from a 25 year career in education, initially working as an ELA teacher at Hamilton Middle School and finishing her career as the AP Lit and English 12 teacher at Hamilton High School. Working at the high school opened the door to have numerous conversations with students about the college process, college essays and next steps.

Why I Love Hope

Katie doesn’t know where to start! The beauty of campus, the history of its buildings, the strength of its academics, the traditions… these are all things that have drawn her to Hope; however, it’s the people and community that make her love Hope College. Having grown up in the Holland/Zeeland area, attending church just down the road from Hope and working as an educator in the area, Hope has been at the center of it all. The genuine friendliness, strong faith and intimate connections are apparent both on and off campus.

Outside the College

Katie and her husband, Dayne, often spend spring, summer and fall weekends camping, hiking, kayaking or simply enjoying the beauty of West Michigan. As “almost empty-nesters,” she cherishes the short time they have when the kids are available to hang out with them. When left to her own devices, you will find Katie sitting outside reading a book or, when it’s too cold to get outside, working on puzzles.