Alumni Spotlight - Katie Staub '16

Mar 19, 2019 12:00 AM

eNews Alumni Spotlight highlights alumni who give back to Frostburg in some way – time, talent, treasure or any combination. This edition of eNews will feature Katie Staub ’16.

Current City: Columbia, Md.

Current Occupation: Insurance Agent

Why do you love FSU?

I love so much about FSU. It was a place I dreamed of going to when I was younger, and it was everything that I thought it would be when I got there. It had a small town feel that made you feel like you were home. Walking across campus, you could always find a friend from a class you had taken previously or someone in your dorm that you could grab lunch with. I loved Greek Life and how many friends it brought into my life that I could not imagine living without.

Why do you come back to FSU?

I come back to FSU to meet my new sisters. I am a sister of Delta Zeta. Although we can keep in touch through social media, I love to come back and participate in our organization’s events to meet the new ladies and catch up with all the alumni who always came back to see me.

What do you do for fun?

Traveling. My girlfriend and I try our best to camp, hike and travel as much as our wallets will allow. I also like to spend a lot of time with my family and friends, going to Orioles games or cooking out.

Tell us about a class or activity at FSU that has had a surprising effect on your life.

As I mentioned before, I am a sister of Delta Zeta. This organization had a monumental impact on my life. Joining a sorority was nothing I ever pictured myself doing. After meeting multiple women from the organization, I knew I had to be a part of it. The women who have come into my life are my best friends, my family and my biggest supporters. They are a constant in my life and I am so grateful for them and for Delta Zeta.

Favorite TV show?

My all-time favorite TV show is Friends. I know that it is old, but it is still something I watch almost every day. I still laugh at it all the time. It is comforting and such a heartwarming show. It makes me feel good before I go to sleep at night or when I am having a rough day.

What cause is dear to your heart?

I have many causes that I am constantly working to be a part of, such as Relay for Life of Laurel, Md., but the cause that means the most to me is the nonprofit I founded in November 2017 called Katie Kares. We collect clothes, shoes, bedding, medical supplies and many more kinds of items. My group of volunteers and I go down to Baltimore City on Sundays and hand out the donations (to homeless people), as well as donated hygiene products, to ensure that they can be ready for the weather and elements they must endure when living on the streets. It is something that has completely changed my life.

The end goal would be to open up a resource center where the homeless population could come daily to get the clothes, food, showers and life-improving help in order to lift these folks out of poverty and into society.

Favorite comfort food:

Pizza. Always pizza.

Favorite vacation spot:

My girlfriend and I went on a cross-country trip when she graduated with her master's from FSU in 2016. We went to so many beautiful places, but the best of them was a cute town in Colorado called Fort Collins. It was so cute and provided us with some much-needed relaxation from all the traveling around. It is some place we would love to go over and over again.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? 

I would love to work at a national park. Getting to know al the best trails and most beautiful sights in the park would be a dream. I would love to live the camp life every day and get to know travelers as they come and go. Now, I don’t want to be the one to come face to face with any snakes, but I am up for just about anything else.

What person, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with?

Hands down that would be Oprah. I have been looking up to her since I was a little girl watching her show every day after school. I admire her so much for so many of her attributes. She is strong and confident. She has overcome so much to make her dreams come true. The best part, though, is that she helps lift others along her way. I would love to talk with her about her impact on my life and ask so many questions about her success. She is still a constant role model in my life. I listen to her podcast weekly and try to keep up with all of the good she does in the world.

Tell us about a person or persons from FSU who had an impact on your life.

The first person I thought of was actually a teacher I had in elementary school. Her name is Kathleen Hickey ’99. She was my P.E. teacher. She was and still is a huge mentor for me. She motivated me to go to Frostburg. Everything that she did made me want to follow in her shoes, and when I visited Frostburg in the eighth grade I knew it was perfect for me.