Youth Advisory Council 2023

Katie (she/her) is a proud autistic woman who lives and works on the Gadigal Land of the Eora Nation (Sydney). She is currently completing a double degree in Animal and Veterinary Bioscience and Data Science at the University of Sydney. Katie aims to pursue an interdisciplinary research pathway combining both of her degrees, using technology to inform wildlife conservation.

Her interest in mental health advocacy developed after experiencing significant mental health challenges in early childhood and adolescence. When not at university, Katie is a mental health speaker at batyr where she shares her story of mental ill-health in schools to break down the stigma of seeking help. She is passionate about early intervention through primary school mental health education. Katie would like to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma from an early age and have an impact on reducing the national suicide crisis. From her experience of being on the Autism spectrum, Katie is passionate about improving the disproportionate impact of mental illness in young neurodivergent Australians. She believes primary and tertiary care needs to be accessible, specific and non-discriminatory.

Katie is also passionate about working with rural communities, advocating to close the education gap through her work with Teach Learn Grow (TLG) as the NSW Programs Manager. This role has seen her visit a wide range of schools in regional NSW, addressing a range of social and emotional factors affecting young people to increase their access to education.

Katie is excited to work with like-minded advocates to make a difference in accessible and holistic mental health care for young people.