*Editor’s Note- This was an assignment for Journalism 304: Media Writing for Audiences. Our task was to interview someone we didn’t know and put together a complete profile for them.

---

Katelyn Johildebrand. While you may not know her name, you’ve definitely seen her work. Under dazzling lights, in the roar of the crowd, the feature baton twirler in the marching band is a picture of grace, elegance, and beauty, carrying on the long-standing tradition of being the only feature twirler at KU at any given time. 

While many would shy away from such a task, Katelyn, or Kate, flourishes in the role. 

“Being the only twirler, I’m granted a lot of freedom in what I do. Everything you see me do, the drills, the routine, running around the band- that’s all put together by me,” she said.

Kate’s role is not like the rest of the marching band. Since the start of the KU marching band, there has only ever been one feature twirler.

“Some schools have lines of twirlers all at the same level that perform the same routine, but at KU, there has always ever been one- and that’s a strict rule,” She said. “I think part of the reason that is that by only having one twirler, it gives them a ton of freedom, and that’s really what I wanted.”

However, freedom in a sport like twirling is not very common. Comparable to gymnastics, most successful twirlers begin at a very young age and engage in strict and high-brow competition. For Kate, her goal was Nationals, the biggest twirling competition out there. Her training paid off 3 years in a row, in 2016, 2017, and 2018 when she walked away with National Champion titles in Baton twirling.

  Despite it being a huge part of her life, for Kate, there is so much more to do than just twirling,  especially being at a school like KU. She first visited the campus when she flew from her hometown of Jefferson, Georgia to audition in person with the marching band director for the twirling position. 

“From the minute I got here I absolutely loved the campus,” Kate said. “It was like coming home.”

Once she got to KU, she fit right in. She got to know a ton of people and learned how to balance the pressure of being in the marching band spotlight. She also developed strong relationships with the students that are a part of the KU Student Ministry Organization (KU STUMO). She said that the organization was a great fit for her because she not only was able to connect with students who are also Christian and grow her faith, but she was also able to do so in an environment that was open and welcoming.

While STUMO, the marching band, and her school work have her booked during college semesters, her plan after college is wide open.

“I’m currently a finance major because for a long time I wanted to be a financial advisor- and still do to some extent,” she said. “I also really like entrepreneurship because I hope to open my own business someday. I want to invest in real estate, and I love interior design too, I have a lot of options at the moment.” 

Kate currently works as a leasing agent at Midwest Property Management and absolutely loves it. It’s a great opportunity for her to not only get experience in the field but also perfect the basic skills she’ll need when she does eventually meet her goals. Despite not having everything planned out, she says that she’s confident based on her goals from high school.

“I’m very optimistic right now. Thinking back to where I wanted to be five years ago, I saw myself here,” she said. “Maybe a younger version of me knew myself more than I thought I did, and maybe now, I know myself more than who I think I’m gonna become one day.”

For Kate, coming to KU has meant so much more than getting to twirl. For her, it’s been about hope. Hope for her future, and knowing that despite struggling, the strength she has within her is so much stronger than she realizes. 

“I like to tell myself this. ‘It’s always going to be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.’ That has gotten me through some tough times,” Kate said. “But I know I’m not alone, and I know I have this great community around me.”