Portrait of a Leading Lady: Kathryn

Next week, one of my closest and dearest friends will say "i do" to her best friend. Before she walks down the aisle, I thought it only appropriate to celebrate her and the impact she has had as one of the leading ladies in my life.

Visiting Kathryn's Family in New Hampshire

I met Kathryn during my first year in Washington, DC. She began working with me as a semester intern and I knew that there was just something special about her. I had to know her! First, it was her incredible work ethic, which I deeply valued and took advantage of. Then, I fell in love with her generous heart and zest for life. It could have also been the marathon day we pulled watching the BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice", eating pizza on my bathroom floor, our equal obsession with Corner Bakery or her killer dance moves that sealed our fate as life long friends.. whatever it was, I am quite lucky to know her.

Her post-college job brought her to DC quite a bit so we embarked on many adventures exploring the city and dancing away nights at our favorite spots. Dinners and coffee dates lasted hours as we talked about who we were as people, who we wanted to be, and our theories on all things life.

After I left DC, we developed an unspoken pact on maintaining our friendship. At least once a year, we get on a plane to see one another. Sometimes it is in the new city we have landed in or we meet up somewhere in the middle. We have kept our friendship a priority amid so many other obligations. I cherish our time together.

Her induction into the State Department

Kathryn is an incredible woman and I am blessed to have had her as my friend for all of these years. She once thanked me for being a mentor in her life but it is really her that deserves the thanks. She helps me to be better than I think I can be with her endless encouragement and belief in my talents. Her spirit is so kind and thoughtful, with a little sass in there for good measure. To top off all her great qualities, she is smart as a whip and keeps me laughing constantly when we are together. Even after all of this time, she is someone I just love to be with. Her acceptance for others and commitment to those she loves always inspires me.

Kathryn and her phenomenal mom, Patti

I am beyond thrilled that she met Bill and that together, they love one another so perfectly and honestly. I can barely wait to see how her next life chapter develops as they set off on a great adventure together!

Kathryn and Bill

I am pleased to introduce you to Kathryn!

Age: 28
Occupation: Program Analysts and soon TBD
Location: Washington, DC.. soon to be India

Describe yourself in one word: Practical

What is your favorite book? This is tough!  It's a tie between Pride & Prejudice and The Giver.

Favorite music? I shamelessly love pop music.

What inspires you? Learning new things.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? Honestly, I think my greatest accomplishment was being part of my basketball team in high school who won the first state women's championship in 30 years.

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about you? That I'm messy (jk - everyone knows that's true).  Seriously, people at work think I'm organized, but I'm not.

What is the best advice you have received? "The tough thing about leadership is realizing that not everyone is you."

What would you tell your younger self? To relax and spend as much time getting to know people as you can because you might miss out on a great friendship.

What do you love most about you?  I love my ability to play devil's advocate.

Describe your idea of a perfect day.  My perfect day would be waking up to sunshine coming through the windows of my lakehouse (which I don't own, yet), spending the day on the boat and in the water with my closest friends and family, playing some cards with dinner and then ending with drinks and stories around the fire.

What do you consider to be your greatest adventure, so far?  Well, my biggest adventure is just about to begin. I'm getting married to my best friend and then we are moving to India for two years!

I feel most beautiful… when I'm dressed to the nines for a night out with my man.

My favorite guilty pleasure is… watching my "stories" AKA anything on ABC Family or Disney Channel.

Happiness is… when you know you've done a good job or made someone else's day.

I would change… the 24-hour news cycle to a 8 hour maximum per day.

Something people would be surprised to know about me is… that I'm the youngest of four children, but not the typical "baby" of the family.

I feel fearless when… I'm starting something new because I feel like it's my opportunity to make my mark.

My Life… will be an adventure and leave a long-lasting and positive impact on the world.