Katie Corbett
Former Council Scholarship Recipient Katie Corbett was one of the last people to graduate from UW-Whitewater with a degree in print journalism. Shortly after she graduated in 2012, the program changed its scope to reflect the shift from print newspapers to digital journalism. But Katie says the writing was on the wall even when she was in school, and her professors sought ways to prepare Katie and her classmates for the changing writing landscape.
Spending time as both a reporter and editor for the school newspaper, Katie was also given other opportunities to grow as both a journalist and a person. “My professors had decades of experience behind them, and being able to learn from them was really great,” Katie says. “I took lots of journalism classes, but also learned about other forms of writing too, like creative and technical writing. I feel like I was well prepared to find work in fields that could use my journalism degree even if they weren’t newspaper jobs.”
More than a decade later, Katie certainly appreciates those opportunities to write in a variety of formats and styles. Katie works two part-time jobs from her home outside the Wisconsin Dells—one as a marketing manager for a medical technology consulting firm and the other for a foundation studying poverty and disability. In addition to writing newsletters, video scripts, brochures, and anything the organizations need, Katie has found a new love too: managing interns and student workers. “I really like all of the logistics that go into our everyday work,” Katie says. “Planning things out and making sure that everyone is playing to their strengths can be really rewarding.”
Whatever she is writing, Katie says she tries to create something that can nourish the reader in whatever form that may take. “Different audiences have different needs and have different ways they take in information,” Katie says. “As a journalist, obviously getting accurate information to people was important. But sometimes you need to read something a little bit lighter, like lifestyle reporting. When I write brochures for my job, I try to think about who is going to be reading them and what sort of information they will need to feel comfortable coming to us.”
“I’m even doing some fiction writing these days, which certainly fits a need; it all nourishes a different part of the person. I just love figuring out what it is people need through my work. It’s what has always drawn me to writing.”
Katie says she is grateful for her Council Scholarship and for the Council’s belief in her as a student. She says that for new students who are blind or low vision and are entering college for the first time, building relationships is one of the most important things they can do. “Even a short meeting with your professor at the beginning of a semester to introduce yourself and let them know that you have vision loss can be super helpful for them to just get to know you,” Katie says. “Build those relationships with your classmates too, because you never know where they’re going to end up or what those relationships are going to turn into in the future. And, of course, some advice that I wish I had listened to more: Enjoy your time in college!”
For most of our history, the Council has been awarding scholarships to postsecondary students who are blind or low vision. We will be announcing our 2026 Council Scholarship recipients in the coming months. Stay tuned to our On Sight e-newsletter and our social media. You can learn more about our scholarship program and meet last year’s recipients on our website at WCBlind.org/Events/Scholarships.