Katie Katz, daughter of an Air Force veteran, found her calling to serve our nation's heroes after her father's passing from Parkinson's disease when she was just 17, on the cusp of her senior year of high school.

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Throughout her life, Katie, along with her older brothers, witnessed their father's profound illness, enduring distressing side effects such as falls, tremors, speech impairment, hallucinations, dementia, and the loss of basic functions like walking, talking, and self-care. Unbeknownst to them at the time, her father also grappled with PTSD flashbacks and panic attacks relating to combat, casting a shadow of mystery over their understanding of his condition. Not only was he suffering from Parkinson's Disease, but he suffered silently through PTSD, not understanding, never complaining, and always protecting his family until the day he no longer could. 

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This undoubtedly contributed largely to her exploration and deep understanding of neuroscience, as well as the effects that trauma has on the brain. The more she understood, the more she wanted to explain it to those who fgeel shame. 

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Katie devoted herself to a deep exploration of neuroscience and trauma studies which brought more understanding, perception, and knowledge, encouraging her educate the nation. Katie believes that with collaboration, community, and education, we WILL change the way the world views mental health.

 

Katie visualizes a transformative shift through the unity of the mental health community, veterans, first responders, active military, families, corporate supporters, public figures, media, and the general public. This collective convergence aims to establish a unified voice, foster a collaborative community, and centralize all pertinent information in one accessible location - The Golden Victor Awards.

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