Outstanding Grad: Katie Baxter
Read the abbreviated version of this story on SOURCE | Published Dec. 15, 2025 by Cheyenne Dolin
Katie Baxter began her Master of Education in Learning Design and Training in 2014. Now, after an eight-year pause and a decade of personal growth, she is finally completing her degree. Throughout this time, her interest in education and mental health advocacy shaped her path, and her desire to finish her degree remained.
From a master’s program to mindfulness
Katie earned a dual bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education from the University of Wyoming and then began teaching seventh grade. Though she enjoyed it, she found herself drawn to the work of instructional facilitators and felt called toward higher education. This motivated her to pursue a Master of Education in Learning Design and Training, so that she could understand adult learning needs, learn how to develop instructional materials, and design educational programs.
During her early coursework, Katie gravitated toward projects focused on mental health in higher education. At the same time, she was wrestling with perfectionism and academic anxiety. Despite having just four classes left before graduation, she made the difficult decision to withdraw to prioritize her health.
Needing transformative change, Katie volunteered at Shambhala (now Drala) Mountain Center. There she immersed herself in meditation courses and learned mindfulness practices. The experience gave her control over her anxiety, and she began to see it not as something to fear, but as a guide – her body’s signal that something needed attention.
Eight years of experience
After her summer at Shambhala, Katie pursued roles that allowed her to mentor students with unique needs, first as a substitute teacher and later as a small group tutor. Connecting with these students reinforced her belief in the powerful link between supportive educational environments and positive learning outcomes.
During that time, she also began volunteering with a suicide prevention nonprofit, eventually becoming Director of Development. In this role, she supported the organization’s mission through outreach, fundraising, and community events. She also traveled across Wyoming, training businesses, community groups, and schools in evidence-based intervention and prevention programs. After COVID, she transitioned to a new role managing a federal mental health grant project. While her work was fulfilling, her unfinished master’s degree lingered in her mind.
Uncertain about her next step, she joined a workforce program where a mentor encouraged her to reapply to finish her graduate degree. With the ten-year limit for completing her degree rapidly approaching, she worried her chances would be slim. But in 2024, she was readmitted under the conditions that she earn straight As in all remaining courses and finish within a specified timeframe.
Completing her degree
Returning to school after a long pause meant catching up on new skills and theories and rebuilding work she’d lost. This was especially difficult when developing her capstone compilation project. Without much earlier coursework to rely on, she built her capstone from scratch. She rose to this challenge, earning the required grades, learning new ideas, and producing a presentation and portfolio that reflects her resilience, renewed sense of purpose, and continued interest in the intersection of education and wellness.
Her advisor, Leann Kaiser, agreed to support her return and shared, “Katie demonstrates real perseverance and is a role model for adult learners. Life often puts barriers in the way of learning, but she has shown that it’s still possible to pursue an education – and excel.”
As she approaches graduation, she hopes to pursue opportunities in learning design and dreams of someday becoming an international travel trainer.
Advice to students who are facing setbacks
When asked what advice she would share with others who feel derailed or discouraged, Katie reflects on her own journey, “Try to remember that what we perceive as ‘failure’ is actually an incredible tool for learning and growth – it’s a transformative opportunity to create change in our lives. Failure is inevitable at times, but if we don’t try again, we’ll never know if it could have been an incredible success. Don’t give up, use available resources, and prove to yourself that you can do it.”