Behind the UCCS Campus Recreation’s carefully curated Instagram account is one Katie Schumacher, resident social media assistant for all things going on at the Gallogly Recreation and Wellness Center (and beyond!). Katie was nominated for Faces of UCCS by her supervisor, Krista Herring, membership and communications program coordinator for Campus Recreation, who was eager to sing her praises:

“I think she has amazing time management skills, especially for being a college student, has high goals for herself, and she is constantly chasing her dreams while gaining as much experience as she can.”

How did such a stellar student employee come to grace Campus Rec? Honestly? Probably destiny.

Katie, a former competitive jump-roper, came to UCCS from an athletic family with two gymnastic coach parents from Broomfield, Colorado. Knowing that she wanted to work for or with the Olympics in some way, Katie was enticed by the sport management program at the College of Business.

“I think I’m one of the few that had their eyes set on what they wanted to do in college, and that hasn’t changed. I knew I wanted to work within the Olympic movement, and being down here has only increased my passion.”

As a sport management and marketing double major, Katie has carved her own niche into the world of athletics with sport communication (which is actually her minor, too).

Outside of the classroom and the rec center Katie finds even more ways to book up her schedule. Just as part of the nature of the sport management program at UCCS, Katie has engaged in several internships over her time here. During her freshman year here at UCCS, Katie interned with Air Force Athletics where she gained essential field experience in the world of athletics. Following that, Katie interned with Colorado Springs Sports Corp in 2018 where she helped with coordinating the Rocky Mountain State Games, the largest multi-sports festival for athletes of all ages and ability in Colorado. Most recently, Katie has been interning with U.S. Figure Skating since May 2019 assisting with their communications.

Surely, you’d think, that just about books her time up completely. But wait! There’s more! Just this past December, Katie finished up her year-long tenure as president of UCCS’s chapter of Pi Beta Phi, an international women’s fraternity.

“I’m very thankful for Greek life on campus,” says Katie, “I know we’re a little untraditional, and very small, we don’t have any housing or anything but I think just having a really strong philanthropic focus has really been fun for me.”

Katie, with the help of her assistant board, led Pi Beta Phi’s main philanthropic effort, Champions are Readers, during her tenure as president last year. With the Champions are Readers program, fraternity members go out to local elementary schools to read with students about once a week. Pi Beta Phi also partnered with the Children’s Literacy Center in Colorado Springs and donated over 200 books in 2019.

Even when it comes to unwinding and staying active, Katie takes on leadership roles where she serves as an ambassador for barre3, a barre studio in Colorado Springs. When not being pulled in five different directions by her obligations, Katie enjoys all that Colorado has to offer outdoors and her friends and family, and she’s excited to get married in the weeks shortly after graduation this May.

Faces of UCCS is a series by Auxiliary Services Marketing highlighting outstanding student employees in the various Auxiliary Services departments. If you have a student you would like to nominate to be featured, email Jacob Guilez at [email protected].