December 20, 2021 • ISSUE 602

Katie Farrell Rogers

Pursuing Leadership Development

Katie Farrell Rogers is a registered dietitian, with a specialty in diabetes care and education, who works as a clinical district manager for a medical device company in the Seattle, Washington, area.
 
When her mother died of Alzheimer’s disease, Katie decided to challenge her brain by enrolling in a master’s program. Her sister found MIU’s website and shared it with Katie. While combing through the website, Katie discovered the online MA in Leadership and Workplace Conflict Resolution program and applied.
 
She wanted to enjoy the learning experience and hoped the classes in communication, negotiation, coaching, and mediation would also be useful in her job. She wasn’t disappointed—she has been able to tackle challenges in her personal and professional life using what she has learned.
 
“The program is more than I ever imaged it would be,” she said. “The expectation is that you are going to participate in the class, and it’s not just a professor lecturing. Hearing the experiences of other people helps the material cement into your brain.”
 
She was also pleasantly surprised that she was able to make friends with her classmates. She invited them to a five-day stay at her family’s vacation home on Anderson Island in Washington State, where they hiked, practiced yoga, and meditated together.

With her classmates at her family’s vacation home, from left to right: Meagan Anderson, Katie Snyder, Darcy Wright, Katie Rogers, Jenny O’Laughlin, Asha Bawden

The practice of the Transcendental Meditation® program has helped Katie become more introspective and access deeper levels of her mind. “I get ideas or solutions to problems that have been plaguing me,” she said.
 
Although she was primarily looking for personal development at MIU, the program has inspired her to seek opportunities for leadership development and organizational design within her current company. She began networking with the education branch and will be giving a presentation on unconscious biases at an upcoming leadership development session.
 
In her free time, Katie likes to explore nature in the Pacific Northwest and spend time with her family.