When you see Katherine A. Young, know that there is more than meets the eye. Katherine is a positive philanthropist who loves to see lives changed for the better. She advocates using her gifts to empower others through self-development. Writing and educating comes naturally to Katherine; it is embedded in her DNA, having come from a family of educators, doctors, and entrepreneurs. Touching lives through education and her words is a blessing she is honored to share. “Empowering others to see that they have greatness within is a unique superpower I possess. I can look at someone and see their potential that needs to be untapped.”
Untapping greatness in youth for over 20 years has been a privilege and honor for Katherine as an urban educator, youth leader, and student and teacher mentor. Using her words to uplift and share gems for growth and action is a gift she is being more intentional about sharing with the world.
As a writer for The Traveler Weekly, she says it has been an empowering outlet to share words of wisdom to inspire our people in the longest-running African American newspaper in Peoria. Furthermore, having first published Praise While You’re Pregnant: Connecting with God Through the Womb in 2012 as a prayer-praise-filled guide to help women understand their power through prayer and that their words can help change the trajectory of their pregnancy and their own lives helped Katherine realize that her words can help elevate others and change their mindset for the better. “What we speak over ourselves is what we become, so we must be mindful to speak LIFE into our own lives as well as those connected to us.”
While it is easy for Katherine to speak life into others and see their greatness, there have been some challenges she had to face, which opened up unexpected doors for her own life. “When my sister–my ace Tish–transitioned to be with the Lord in 2017, I felt such a weight on my shoulders from the stress of teaching and from grieving. I took a year off from teaching and discovered my niche in editing. Bishop Harold Dawson, Jr. would always tell me I had an “eagle eye.” During this time of rediscovery, I began freelance editing for myself and with the Write It Out Publishing company based out of Virginia. I am proud to say that I have been blessed to help at least 50 authors – even a client in Paris, France – edit and publish their books.”
Fast forward to 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, another book idea arose after witnessing how people had to get creative to earn money to maintain their lifestyles. “People were getting laid off from their jobs and still needed money to live. It was like a Renaissance witnessing people near and far tapping into what they had to create businesses, side hustles, and more. They were shooting their shots, and it was during this time that I began writing my second book. Shoot Your Shot: You Have What It Takes to Win! is an inspirational and action-oriented guidebook that encourages you to focus on skills and gifts you already possess to make positive changes in your life ─ A reminder that the things that come easy to you are the very things that can position your life for new opportunities. “If the pandemic taught us anything, it taught us that we cannot rely on others to sustain our lives. We must be willing to think outside the box to earn an income that may not necessarily be a traditional 9-5.”
Katherine is being more intentional about shooting more shots in her own life. “There are more books to come and a podcast, so I would love to connect with you anywhere in the world. We all have room to share our gifts, shoot our shots, and live a richer life on purpose with purpose,” she said.
To learn more about Katherine’s book, you can go to stan.store/katherineayoung. Connect with Katherine online on Instagram at @katherineayoung; contact her via email at info@katherineayoung.com, or her website at www.katherineayoung.com.
The Traveler Weekly 