Meet Katie, our new Program Director!

I’m so thrilled to be your new program director! My name is Katie Dougherty! Hello from Florida!

Katie grew up in Oklahoma and Florida–a long drive to camp!

I wanted to take this opportunity to express my joy and excitement for this upcoming year. The support and love I’ve received already is heart-warming and I want to say a big thank you to everyone! I also want to share a little bit about me before summer begins.

My background

Some campers might remember calling me “BUG” (short for Katiebug). That’s right – I was a camper! I grew up singing camp songs every summer and drawing hearts on everything I owned. My late grandmother, Jean Moore, was the nurse at Camp Stewart for more than 40 years. She introduced me to Heart O’ the Hills as a Midget in 2003. I was homesick almost immediately, but the counselors took me in and helped make The Heart my second home.

Katie started coming to camp at age six. Here she is with the legendary Stewart nurse, Jean Moore

It was a long trip for me to get to camp each summer. The trips from Florida (or Oklahoma) were always spent in a car (I really didn’t like flying). My parents drove more than 47,300 miles over 11 years to get me to and from Hunt, Texas. I owe them a huge thank you for everything they’ve done to ensure I had the opportunity to grow up at The Heart.

I continued as a Heart girl for 11 years and spent my last summer as a camper in Adobe 2 in 2013. Some of my happiest memories are from my days at The Heart. From tribe hills to field days, and quadrille to ice cream at Jane’s, my camping days helped shape me into the confident woman I am today. I am eager to return to camp as your new program director, and help build that same experience for future campers.

As a camper Katie was an accomplished rider

Present and future

Currently, I am studying at the University of Central Florida and will be graduating in May 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Eventually, I would love to follow in my father’s footsteps and join the Army as a criminal investigator. Criminal justice is a huge passion of mine because helping others has always come first in my life. To have the ability to affect someone else’s life in a positive way speaks to my heart in indescribable ways.

I can’t wait to come back to HOH in just three short weeks! Having been a camper myself, I understand everything this amazing camp has to offer and I’m eager to help future campers feel right at home. As the new program director, I look forward to mentoring these young women to help them realize their potential at the best summer camp around.

Have a great rest of 2017 and Happy New Year! I hope 2018 brings you all your wishes and more.

<3 Katie

Editor’s note: Katie will finish her last two classes online, so she will be joining us here at camp beginning in the office on Jan. 8. We can’t wait! Jane–