Katie was born and raised in Hawaii, which explains her affinity for being outside whenever the sun peeks out in her foggy neighborhood, and for all things made with Spam. Her undergraduate studies in Japanese at the University of Hawaii took her to a rural town in northern Japan, where she taught English for two years. It was there that she had a chance to work with a disaster relief organization after the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami, and met hundreds of international volunteers who inspired her to pursue a career in the non-profit field. She is excited to join the Review and Translation Program team and is looking forward to supporting the volunteer editors and translators who donate their time and skills to Kiva.