Where are they now? Kathryn Barnes Bogart Class of 1997

kathryn-barnes            “I wanted to be a nurse when I was younger,” said Katie in a recent email. “I remember that I did a report on Florence Nightingale in fourth grade. My favorite cousin was a nurse, and I wanted to be just like her. I got away from that in high school, but after having my first baby, I knew I was meant to be a nurse.”

            Katie is now a registered nurse in Rutland Regional Medical Center on the medical/oncology floor, where she has been for six years. She has two children, Emma, soon to be 12, and Noah, 10.

            When asked what education she had since graduation, her first answer was “Life!” In addition to that Katie went to Siena College for a year and a half, then left to get married. After moving to Washington State, she earned her AAS degree at Olympic College, then attended ACC for her nursing training after moving back to New York. She is now working on her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Walden College.

            “We now live in Ticonderoga. It is truly a beautiful place with a lot of history. I love doing things with my kids; hiking, playing ball, swimming and traveling. I love crafty things, and recently taught my daughter how to sew! (Mrs. Mercer would be proud!)

            “I have many good memories of school,” she continued, “Track practices, riding around with Sam Helinski in the Firebird, being up to no good with Lori Ann Ferguson, hiding in Mr. Harris’ room to finish my math homework so my mother (math teacher Sandra) wouldn’t find out because I had ‘more important’ things to do the night before! I still come visit my Mom in town, and one of my best friends from high school is now my boss! Facebook has brought me back in touch with people I haven’t seen in years.”

            At this point in her life, Katie has given her future some thought. “I want to finish my BSN (Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing), then maybe explore other options. I love the patient population I work with now. It is a wide variety of patients from 18 all the way to 102, and we take care of all medical conditions, not just cancer. I really enjoy the acute care setting, and can’t see doing anything else at this point.”