| Josie has dedicated her career to creating opportunities, particularly pathways to education, for people in poverty. That's because she knows the value of a good education. It's what took her from tearing up her mom's driveway with a pogo stick behind the old K-Mart on Breckenridge Lane to earning her bachelor's and master's degrees at Columbia University in New York City. It's what took her across the country to create programs and educate young people. Finally, it's what brought her home to a cul-de-sac in Hikes Point, where service feels even more meaningful.
She has been a journalist writing about poverty and homelessness, a middle school reading and writing teacher, a nonprofit manager focused on helping students become the first in their families to go to college, and a coach for struggling students at the University of Louisville. In each role, her mission was the same- lift up people seeking to build better lives for themselves and their children. Now, as a Student Success Coordinator at the University of Louisville, I hear harrowing stories of the obstacles faced by young people, and every day I'm encouraged by the resilience they show in overcoming them.
Her husband, Adam, a writer, took her to duPont Manual High School's junior prom on their first date. They have three kids. |