In 2014, Katelyn Brown received her first Bootstraps award, setting her on an educational path from Conifer High School to medical school. Now, as she begins her clinical rotations, we caught up with her to discuss the milestones and experiences that have shaped her journey.

 

From her high school years at Conifer, Katelyn has been devoted to both learning and helping others. Immersed in music, she spent all four years in the orchestra and three years in the Lobo Marching Band. During her senior year, Katelyn experienced a very impactful internship at a local hospital that sparked her interest in medicine. Through the Executive Internship program, Katelyn discovered a field where she could combine her love for science, problem-solving, and helping others.

 

She chose to attend Colorado State University (CSU) for her undergraduate degree and majored in biomedical sciences, graduating in 2019. She then had the opportunity to stay at CSU and create her own Master of Science program that allowed her to dive into research, patient care, medical education, and explore many areas of interest.

 

During the last semester of her master’s program, Katelyn was promoted from teaching assistant to instructor and taught a senior capstone class in neuro anatomy. She thrived as she helped fellow students understand complex concepts, igniting a passion for teaching to go alongside her passion for science. Whether Katelyn was teaching a class or running a study group, she "loved seeing other students have their ‘light bulb’ moments.”

When Katelyn transitioned from high school to university life, she found it to be both exhilarating and challenging. Living independently and meeting new friends was exciting, but she also faced personal challenges, such as her father's health issues. Through it all, her Bootstraps scholarship provided financial stability, allowing her to focus on her education. The scholarship gave her a “level of ease and security without having to take out loans with high interest rates.”

 

Katelyn took a gap year before college and traveled solo across Europe. She stayed with a host family in Paris and taught the family’s children English. This experience broadened her perspective and solidified her commitment to higher education in a field she loved. Entering college as a science major, she initially pursued pre-med with intense focus, joined all of the clubs, got the best grades, but quickly realized she wasn’t enjoying her journey because she was trying to be the best med school applicant. After she made this realization, she focused on learning how to learn, quit all of the clubs and activities she was involved in that she didn’t have a good reason for doing, and she learned how to pay attention to what really interested her. She discovered that her true passion lay in teaching and working with people directly. It was her human anatomy class that was pivotal for her because she started working with fellow students in large study groups. That led her to her undergrad thesis: design a class curriculum in integrative science case studies, which allowed her to explore teaching and designing curriculum.

 

Since she couldn’t’ decide between education, med school, and research, Katelyn decided if she went into medicine, she could do all three. Anschutz Medical School has a campus in Fort Collins, so Kately recently wrapped up her first year of med school classroom training. She is currently in her clinical phase where she will tour different areas of medicine such as outpatient care, hospital care, etc. She spent a year working in an addiction clinic which is the type of medicine she is most interested in pursuing at this time.

 

Looking back, she credits Bootstraps as instrumental to her journey with the sense of support and financial relief the organization provided. She was able to receive her undergraduate degree, her master’s degree, and now move forward with medical school. Katelyn’s family has been her strongest foundation: her late father was a constant support, and her mother instilled in her the courage to follow her dreams. She now shares her life with her fiancé, Eric, two cats, and a fish named Frank. They enjoy spending time going on “tons” of outside adventures.

 

As she begins the next phase of her medical training, she’s excited about a future where she can merge her passions for medicine, teaching, and patient care. Her journey highlights the power of resilience, curiosity, and community support, and we at Bootstraps are incredibly proud to have been part of her inspiring path.