kt beckman gotrich

Title/Position

Community Engagement Associate

Pronouns

they/them/theirs

After graduating with a BA in Art History from James Madison Univeristy, KT juggled an internship with Smithsonian American Art Museum and an AmeriCorps service year teaching English as a Second Language. Learning alongside students from backgrounds and circumstances similar to their family, KT was compelled to commit to people over objects. KT served Adult English educators and students for over 14 years through student-centered instruction and assessment. Remembering their family’s life and seeing students' barriers to sucess, Katie wanted to support community members through political activity. They first supported housing organizing for the 2017 Women's March and then as a core organizer for the 2017 March for Racial Justice. Political education and relationship building led to further rooting in issues of local DC neighbors. KT has organized with neighbors through Ward 5 Mutual Aid, Girls Rock!DC, Stop Police Terror Project, DC Reinvest Coalition, DC for Democracy, and ONE DC. KT was an inaugural Fellow for the Rising Organizers in 2018 and is now the Deputy Director of their leadership. Together, the Rising Organizer team trains and builds the leadership skills of novice organizers.

KT tries to model their values—to love unconditionally and build power by centering each relationship’s stories. Their child has already been sighted at teach-ins and zoom bombing community meetings. In off hours, you can find them canvassing together with their dog Cocoa Bean, playing with friends at local parks, tending their garden or in the kitchen baking.