By Emily Williams
Spending a week in a YWCA of Central Alabama social justice leadership camp opened Katie Klasing’s eyes to the struggles people outside her hometown of Mountain Brook can face every day.
She went home determined to share that understanding with her classmates at Mountain Brook High School. Her efforts have made Klasing the first Alabama resident to be awarded a Princeton Prize in Race Relations.
The high school senior is quick to give credit to Rebecca Harkless, her mentor and coordinator of the YWCA’s Anytown Alabama program.
“Working with the YW has really taught me to see the world through a different point of view,” Klasing said.
After a life-changing experience in the YW’s week-long camp the summer before her junior year, Klasing said she yearned for an outlet in school that helped students connect with more diverse communities in Birmingham.
The school had a long-standing club known as the Heritage Panel, but it had been disbanded because of lack of involvement. With the YW’s help, Klasing restarted the program.
“It took a lot of work to get teachers to sponsor it and to recruit other members,” she said. “Most of my junior year was spent on stuff like that, so there wasn’t a whole lot of time to plan activities.”
Come senior year, the club was in full force and participated in its first student exchange program with Wenonah High School. Members of the club spent a regular day in the life of Wenonah students.
“We all learned a lot, but I’d say one of the main things we realized is that we all struggle with the same things,” she said. “We deal with the same issues like bullying, self-confidence, schoolwork and everything, just in different ways.”
Through the experience, Klasing said she feels confident in saying that the exchange has had a profound impact on her peers.
“I just want everyone to realize that, yeah, we are different, but we can all find common ground and learn to be a little more accepting of everyone around us,” she said.
One way she’s shared her experiences and insights with others outside of Alabama is through a trip to Princeton University this past weekend, where she accepted a $1,000 award and participated in a symposium. The panel discussion she served on focused on promoting race relations in communities that are predominantly white.
“I’m really excited about the subject because Mountain Brook High School is 97 percent white,” she said before leaving on the trip.
On a day-to-day basis, Klasing said she pays attention when she’s walking through the halls and does her best to approach students who make comments that are offensive.
“You’ll hear little things that may not seem hurtful when you’re at school, but to someone else they can be hurtful and racist,” she said. “I try to do my best to speak up and let them know that, from another person’s perspective, their comments could be offensive.”
As the first Princeton Prize winner from Alabama, Klasing is ready to accept her position as a role model for peers and younger students. She’s well-equipped to handle the spotlight thanks to her extra-curricular career as a model.
“Everyone always told me I should either play basketball or model. I tried basketball and that didn’t work out at all, it was awful. So I tried modeling,” she said. Standing at a solid 5 feet 11 inches, she was well equipped for the job and said that the opportunity to meet other models from all walks of life has been a bonus.
When she attends Oglethorpe University in the fall, Klasing is looking forward to being closer to her modeling agency. She is also looking forward to finding the right major that will complement her passion for equality, something along the lines of psychology.
“Advocating for equality is something I’ll keep doing for the rest of my life,” she said. “I want people to realize that we should celebrate our differences because those are the things that really make each of us unique.”