Meet former Rotaract co-President Katie Sharpe! She is about to wrap up her BSc Honours in Linguistics. When this language expert is not volunteering for local charities and organizations, she likes to go on photography walks. Don’t let her sweet face fool you though! Katie is a sharpe girl and can critique your parking like no other; after all she did work in parking enforcement for nearly five years.
Katie first arrived at UVic in 2011 and has actively been involved with the Rotaract Club of Victoria since then. She just finished her term as the co-President of the Rotaract Club of Victoria. She became aware of Rotary International a year before her arrival to UVic, in Montreal. Katie had a friend who was involved with Rotaract and they both stopped during their drive through Montreal to attend the Rotary International Convention. She was fascinated by the diverse personalities of all of the attendees she met at the conference. “I decided that once I stopped travelling,”Katie remembers saying, “[that] I would join the nearest Rotaract club.” Katie is definitely happy with her decision. She gets to work with a group of people who are as passionate about making a change in their local communities as she is. Beyond being surrounded by like-minded peers, Katie has been able to form new friendships she couldn’t have imagined before. Prior to Rotaract, Katie knew a limited number of people in Victoria but through the club, she has not only made local friends but international friends as well.
KaKatie has big goals. In fact, she’s found a job that would be perfect for her. Katie loves to help others and loves the languages of the world. She has had the opportunity to be immersed in a culture that she appreciates. Katie was able live in Tokyo for half a year. She has a one degree in Japanese and another in Italian! In the near future, Katie wants to be a speech pathologist. Her enjoyment of languages and a speech pathologist role would allow her to combine her love with her passion to help others. Katie ultimately aims to address the literacy and language issues present in minority communities. “I want to see everyone have access to education.” Katie explains. “Literacy is vital and should be a fundamental right for every child.” Keep an eye out for this Japanese culture lover ; she’s sure to be changing the world soon!