Kaitlyn realized she was “good” at math in the fourth grade, when she, along with four of her male classmates, were pulled from the regular math class to be in a small group honors course. For the majority of fourth through eighth grade, she was the only girl in the course. In high school, her favorite classes were band, English, and history, but she always took the most challenging math and science courses that fit into her roster. She attributes her high marks in two of the harder courses, chemistry and AP Calculus, to the fact that she knew her classmates would ask her to explain the material before the next class, so she had to understand each lesson fully so as not to let them down. 

In the fall of her senior year of high school, her English teachers (all women!) collectively made sure she applied to the University of Pennsylvania which she definitely would not have done without their encouragement. At Penn she majored in sociology and minored in cognitive science and music. She played trumpet in the Penn Band and the occasional pit orchestra for a musical. As had been the case since she first joined band at 10 years-old, Kaitlyn was usually the only female trumpet player in an ensemble, but that never stopped her from having a great time. 

Kaitlyn’s goal is always to inspire confidence and guide students towards their goals while maintaining a positive philosophy. She is grateful for all the encouragement and excellent female role models she has had in her life and hopes to pay that forward to her students.