Katie Houghton grew up in Michigan and graduated Cum Laude from Michigan State University, with a bachelor’s degree in Social Relations and Spanish. She is also a member of the honors fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa. In the fall of 2004, Ms. Houghton studied at the Universidad de San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador. This opportunity allowed her to not only perfect her Spanish-speaking abilities, but to also develop a greater understanding of economic disparities in other parts of the world.
While attending school she participated in several volunteer positions. At the Refugee Development Center, in Lansing, Michigan, she worked with high school students, helping them with their studies and mentoring them through their adjustment to American life; and with adults, teaching them English and helping them with career searches, resume writing, and learning how to navigate the city. She also worked as the secretary and community outreach coordinator for the only student division of the grassroots organization Results. The aim of this group was to create the political will to end world hunger, and Ms. Houghton helped to do so by speaking with members of congress, writing editorials and generating support in the local community.
Ms. Houghton’s professional experience includes working as a bilingual tutor in the Macomb County School District. In this role she tutored English-as-a-Second-Language students, grades K-12, helping them to succeed in school and improve their English abilities. She also worked as an eligibility specialist for the Michigan Department of Human Services. In this position she worked with the indigent population, helping them to received food stamps, Medicaid, State Emergency Relief, and other welfare benefits.
Shortly after moving to Miami in August, 2007, Ms. Houghton began working as the Center Coordinator for the Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity. She plans to eventually pursue a Masters in Public Health.
