About Me

 My name is Katherine Valera. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Journalism at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May of 2013.

At UMass I was very involved in multicultural student organizations and served as the Customer Service Lead to the Office of Residential Life Student Services. This work influenced my enrollment in the Higher Education Program. The way UMass' administrative and first-year experience offices came together worked effectively to create a healthy campus environment for its students was captivating. Having worked in student organizations I knew that putting together  student events took a lot of hard work - and I loved it.  My experiences at UMass were a great factor in my pursuit of the Master of Education degree. 

I declared my concentration in Higher Education Administration because I would love to learn how institutions are run, what changes in policies affect enrollment of minority groups, and what effects these policies have on college access for underrepresented groups. 

I look forward to the engaging curriculum and learning about the challenges that affect higher education institutions, and share and engage with my fellow course mates.