Katie Waldroup

Class of 2016
Hometown: Kannapolis, NC

Katie Waldroup, of Kannapolis, NC, graduated in May 2016 with degrees in Special and Elementary Education. Upon graduation, Katie began teaching fifth grade at Walter Bickett Elementary School in Monroe, NC while also pursuing options for graduate school. As part of the Levine Scholars Program, Katie interned at Urban Ministry Center in Charlotte, where she built relationships with individuals experiencing homelessness and updated the community resource manual. Her international experience included working in an elementary school and an orphanage in Cusco, Peru, and studying the education system in Stellenbosch, South Africa. “The Levine Scholars Program has given me the freedom to pursue my passion for education. It has given me opportunities to explore the ways culture and socioeconomic status affect student success within and beyond the classroom,” Katie said. As a 49er, she also participated in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as a member, a worship team leader and a coordinator on the executive board. “These people have become my mentors, my mentees, my friends and, most of all, my family. UNC Charlotte has not only given me the tools to become a great teacher, but my time here has made me a better person.”