Meet the Board: Katie Rouw
With more than 600 volunteer hours, Katie Rouw leaves a legacy of service and a vision for stronger student engagement in Mount Vernon’s downtown.
Story By: Sabrina Diamond
While most boardrooms are filled with business owners and community leaders, one chair at the Mount Vernon Downtown Association (MVDA) table this past year was reserved for a student voice: Katie Rouw, a now-graduated Mount Vernon High School senior.
Rooted in Mount Vernon since childhood, Katie has always given back to the community she calls home. With more than 600 volunteer hours under her belt, she’s played a key role in supporting MVDA events, including helping to coordinate volunteers for the annual Tulip Festival Street Fair.
“It was exciting working with the MVDA Board because I didn’t know how much behind-the-scenes work there really was, especially for the Street Fair,” Katie said. “I was really glad that I not only had a youth perspective, but that I brought a little bit of energy.”
Her passion for service is closely tied to her love for music and teaching. A longtime member of her school’s choir and band programs, Katie has been both a student director and section leader for these initiatives.
“From a leadership standpoint, it’s been helpful to take on roles like student director and section leader,” Katie said. “I’ve always felt like a natural leader, and it’s awesome to see that I’m actually making a difference in my community.”
Now, Katie is heading to Minnesota this fall to pursue a degree in music education. Even as she looks ahead, she credits her volunteer time in Mount Vernon and with the MVDA for shaping her perspective on community leadership.
“It’ll be really hard leaving Mount Vernon for college,” Katie said. “I love the community of downtown. There’s so much interconnectedness between businesses and people.”
When asked to share advice with other students who want to get more involved in their community, Katie advocates that students should explore as many opportunities as they can.
“We have so many different volunteer opportunities in our community, and it’s right here. Whether it’s at a food bank or at the street fair, or little things at the high school, or even picking up trash on the side of the road or making bags for the homeless and passing them out – it’s not that hard to help someone and it’s so rewarding to volunteer,” Katie said.
Katie’s year on the board was also a learning experience and a chance to pave the way for others. For Katie, serving as the first high school representative on the Mount Vernon Downtown Association (MVDA) Board was all about learning and laying the groundwork for others.
“My goal this year, since I was kind of like the guinea pig, was just to be in the room, ask questions, and help,” she said. “I think I fulfilled those.”
Looking ahead, Katie hopes future student board members will build on her experience and bring even more youth energy downtown.
“I want to see the future students volunteering. I want to see them actively take a group of friends, study down here, and really just open the doors and show other students what happens downtown,” she said.
She also envisions a dedicated youth committee where teens could contribute ideas and shape projects of their own.
“I want to see something that a youth board member makes for a group of teens — like a design committee or improvement committee for downtown,” Katie shared. “Then those opinions could be reflected back to the board. I just want to see change happen for the better for kids.”
