Katie Hulshizer
International Activities and Orientation Coordinator
Hello! My name is Katie, and my primary responsibilities include promoting, organizing,
and supervising activities and orientations to support international student community
engagement. As a member of the International Activities Team, I supervise International
Student Ambassadors (ISAs) in their planning and execution of various on-campus events
and regional field trips.
I am relatively new to the GRC campus and to Washington State. Having been born in
Pasadena CA, and residing in Portland OR since my childhood, I’ve now lived in every
state along the North American West Coast. As much as I love it here in the Pacific
Northwest, I also enjoy traveling and hope to do more of it now that I’m finished
studying (at least for the time being) and am settling into a career in student affairs!
My curiosity and love for learning led me to pursue a BA in communication studies
from Portland State University (PSU) after a gap year spent working at a dog grooming
salon in my hometown. As a student and aspiring event planner, I enjoyed co-directing
the event programming board on my campus. Upon graduating in 2020, at the height of
the Covid-19 pandemic, and in reflecting on my most meaningful college experiences,
my career trajectory shifted to extracurricular learning and leadership development.
I returned to PSU, this time as the operations specialist to the College of Education
Dean’s Office, where I simultaneously studied educational leadership and policy in
the Postsecondary Adult and Continuing Education (PACE) program. Highlights included
a multi-year community service project with my labor union (SEIU 503), co-teaching
a year-long Leadership Fellows course for a cohort of student leaders, and concluding
my MS with a thesis on communities of practice to support student employment at public
colleges and universities.
I’m thrilled to have found my way to GRC and to be learning from and alongside many
exceptional IPEL and Student Life colleagues!