Originally raised on a farm in Visalia, California, Katriya has experience in visual arts, education, and international relations.   She has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art, a California Visual Arts Teaching Credential, as well as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate.  She has lived in various parts of California, Italy, and Thailand and has studied Spanish, Italian, and Thai languages.  She is also proud to have been a U.S. Fulbright Scholar grantee. 

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Currently, she is pursuing graduate study at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies where she is a dual-degree candidate for a Master of Arts in International Education Management and a Master of Public Administration. Within her graduate coursework, she is also studying Mandarin Chinese.   

Katriya believes wholeheartedly in the importance of continually striving to be a globally competent and lifelong learner - both in and outside any classroom.  In her leisure time, she enjoys being creative in the kitchen and art studio, studying languages, exploring markets, and traveling.