Academic tutor helps student athletes and university win

Through her work with student-athletes and a gift for the KU School of Journalism, Laura Katich is helping KU achieve excellence. Photo courtesy of KU Endowment Association

For the past seven years, Laura Katich has seen to it that KU’s student-athletes perform as well in the classroom as they do on the sports field.

A tutor for the KU Athletic Corp., Katich helps students with study skills and course content.

“I like the feeling that I’m helping a student get a jump start,” she said. “It’s very rewarding to work with students and then see them graduate.”

Katich shared her love of teaching with her husband, John Katich, who was a member of the journalism faculty at KU from 1986 until his death in 2001. In her husband’s honor, Katich established the John Katich Award at the KU Endowment Association.

The award is given to a promising journalism student in media sales and management.

“John loved teaching students and had a real soft spot for the student who was trying to work and get his degree,” she said.

Katich’s gift counts in the University Family Campaign, an opportunity for KU faculty and staff members to participate in KU First: Invest in Excellence. With a goal of raising $500 million, KU Endowment is conducting KU First on behalf of the university through 2004 to raise funds for scholarships, fellowships, professorships, capital projects and program support.