I am extremely fortunate to have a long line of strong women in my family who inspire me everyday to be empathetic and compassionate in my approach to life. This includes a newer member of my family, my sister-in-law Katrina Urbanski. After meeting her for the first time, I immediately admired her perfect balance of boldness and kindness, which are the qualities (that I believe) make her the wonderful teacher that she is.
Katrina’s passion for education was piqued after working as a summer camp counselor for preschool and elementary school children during college. While she was a double-major in Criminal Justice and Spanish at SUNY Oneonta, it was during her senior year of college that she realized she was more energized by her summer job than her major-related internships. This led Katrina to pursue her Master’s in Education, specifically in Early Childhood Education with a Bilingual Extension for Spanish, from University of Buffalo. Several years later, she is a Special Education teacher for kindergarten and second grade students at an elementary school in Silver Spring, Maryland.
While working at her elementary school, Katrina is most proud of her joint effort to implement wrap-around services that support families in accessing counseling, extended learning opportunities, nutrition education, immigration counseling, and clothing, through grants and federal funds. Many of the school’s families are Spanish-speaking, and her ability to speak Spanish has allowed her to better connect with her students and their families - an important asset during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the increasing needs of students during the pandemic, Katrina has future goals to move into Academic Intervention to support students who are struggling with reading in order to become more proficient readers.
There is no getting around the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic was incredibly challenging for teachers. With remote learning and the learning loss that students experienced, Katrina, like many other teachers, put her own needs aside to ensure that her students were being met with the care and kindness needed to thrive during a difficult time. I have seen firsthand how this pandemic has affected her as a teacher, and I am amazed everyday by her grace and motivation to strive forward. I am proud to call Katrina Urbanski my sister, and excited to see all of the amazing ways that she inspires others in the future.
