• Current Scholars
• Alumni
• Dream Big
• Scholar Travels
• Scholar Art & Music
• Scholar Stories
• The Scholar Experience

Katie M. Boes

Biography

Although Katie Netherton's parents divorced shortly after their marriage, each parent was active in critical parts of their children's lives. Katie's father fostered her interest in nature and living things. In her first year of college, Katie was daunted at the idea of choosing one career. Biology, math, history, and the classics were all possibilities. Her mother suggested that Katie shuffle through her favorite memories to find a common link. Katie recalled her encounter with pacing lions at the National Zoo, singing birds at the National Arboretum, stingrays and starfish at the Baltimore aquarium, and her puppy, Thor. The common link was nature and living things.

So she declared biology as her major in her sophomore year and tried to narrow things down even further. She concluded that her interests span throughout the field, suggesting a career that would combine all levels of biology-cellular, organismal, and ecological. Katie's ultimate goal therefore is to combine a veterinary profession with environmental conservation. As a rare-animal veterinarian, she can participate in restoring endangered wildlife populations.

During an internship at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Katie got a glimpse of where that career path would take her. There, she worked with endangered whooping cranes, helped with lab tests, assisted in raising birds, and trained them for migration. When a chick tore a ligament in its leg and the only known treatment would keep the chick in considerable pain with a low chance of success, Katie raised her sights. She wants to find methods where none exist and improve treatments that are difficult or unreliable.

As much as Katie loves animals, she also treasures people. The starting center for Loyola's basketball team, she has participated in a number of team-related charitable events, including clinics, Police Athletic League events, Race for the Cure, Race to Remember, and Adopt-a-Family.

In summer basketball camps, Katie not only teaches children basketball skills, but also advises them on academics, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Remembering how difficult her transition from high school to college athlete was, and the void in peer support, Katie has made an extra effort to befriend the team's freshmen. She notes that, in return, "This year's freshmen offered me the gift of six new friendships."

Other Scholars Like Katie