VĚSTNÍK
Monday, December 27, 2021
25
SPJST January Věstník Project This project earns a maximum 1 point in the SPJST Youth Merit Point System. To complete the project questions to earn 1 point in the SPJST Merit Point System, scan the QR Code below, or go directly to spjst.org/programs/vestnik-project/
Katie Daugherty was born a few days before Christmas and grew up in the small, rural town of Chardon, Ohio, near the city of Cleveland. Her town is known for the massive maple syrup industry, along with the town’s own Maple Festival and the record amounts of snow: over 100 inches of snowfall each year due to the city’s location along the “snow belt” of the Great Lakes.
Katie’s mom, Wendy, was on bed rest in the hospital with her for 62 days and says when they came home, the carpet in the house felt like she was walking on clouds! Katie’s dad, Doug, has been a high school principal and administrator at a career and technical center for 25 years and inspired her passion for education and working with youth. While growing up in Northeast Ohio, Katie spent the majority of her time out-
side exploring the that her dad, aunt, Get to Know woods and creeks and uncle went to around her house when they were Camp Kubena with her sister and kids. It was her and Program Manager her sister’s first cousins. Her family has a small farm summer at camp, Katie Daugherty surrounded by forand Katie was lovests with big hills, ing it. Then, her perfect for sledding sister became very through the snow in homesick and told the wintertime. Katie that she From a very young wanted to go home age, Katie, her and that their mom sister, and cousins was coming to pick always explored the her up. The camp outdoors and even director was so worfound a natural ried that Katie swimming hole in would see their the creek just a few mom picking her miles away from sister up that she her house that they tried to keep her enjoyed jumping away from the area, into during the but somehow Katie summer months. went past them and The fall months saw her sister being were perfect for picked up. Her reroaring bonfires, an event that took sponse: “Bye, Mom. Bye, Danielle. I place almost every weekend while Katie gotta get to my boating activity!” as she was growing up. Once the snow flew, ran off. Katie loved that camp so much months of cold were spent sledding, that she returned every year until she besnowmobiling, and snow tubing at the came an adult volunteer at the camp. local ski chalets. During her teen years, Katie was very When Katie turned eight, she was fi- involved in the county 4-H program in nally old enough to attend the 4-H camp many ways. From a young age, Katie
and her family raised many livestock animals - rabbits, pigs, market steers, heifers, pygmy goats, ducks, and the family dogs and cats. She also trained each year to be a 4-H camp counselor where she and her fellow camp counselors created the camp schedule and led the evening programs and activities for all of the campers. During high school, Katie was also involved in her school’s marching band as a squad leader in the drumline, spending every Friday night having fun and being loud at the football games. Growing up spending most of her time outdoors, making memories at camp, and seeking out leadership experiences has inspired Katie to encourage young people to always keep learning how to become the best versions of themselves. —SPJST—
https://spjst.org/programs/vestnik-project/
