Humanities and Communication
Katie Kuszmar
Katie Kuszmar graduated in 1999 with a concentration in Creative Writing and Social Action. After completing her degree, she worked as an art and reading teacher at a charter school, an Education Coordinator at a metropolitan museum and after earning an MA in Literature from Fresno State, taught a variety of English courses in community colleges and courses in Social Justice and Global Studies at UCSC.
Currently, she is on the faculty in the Community Service Learning department at Notre Dame High School where she coordinates justice immersion trips and social justice programs, including facilitating the Young Woman’s Advocacy Summit at Notre Dame. She also is on the Educational Advisory Board for Voice of Witness, an organization that publishes oral histories centered on human rights, and provides educational training and support to teachers and students who use oral history in the classroom.
Katie describes her experience in HCOM this way: "HCOM built a hearty foundation for honest introspection, compassionate communication, and provided a supportive outlet for creative expression and new ways of knowing the world as it relates to social justice. After teaching for over a decade, I still employ methods of collaborative and experiential learning with my students, modeled after the education I received at CSUMB.
"For the past three years, integrating oral history training and mentoring projects in oral history for students has provided one of the most impressive teaching tools to help students and myself to truly listen, to honor unheard voices, and to foster a holistic approach to community building. I have connected with many of my professors from CSUMB, and they are still models of education and mentors to me."