Katie, a lone soldier from Missouri, served as a pilot in the US military before drafting to the IDF. Katie is now a combat soldier in a female battalion where she will serve for 3 years. Katie’s father is a police officer and her mother has a military background and also worked in the White House. Katie was home-schooled and was instilled with a love of Israel and the Jewish people. Despite finishing 3 years of rigorous training, Katie left the United States to serve in the IDF, “I realized that Israel needed me more.”

Katie lives in Jerusalem and took part in the Center’s High Holiday meals. She hopes to stay in Israel after her service and dreams about her parents joining her.