Q+A with Katie McKay ’08

Katie attended GUS for seventh and eighth grade, graduating in 2008. After GUS, she went to Governor’s Academy, then on to Dartmouth College, where she graduated in 2016. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2021 and is currently pursuing her MFA in creative writing from New York University.

What was one of your most meaningful or memorable GUS experiences?

GUS was the first place I was really encouraged to explore my artistic interests. I remember art classes especially fondly, but there was a broader appreciation for the arts that included the plays and musicals and other things. I had transferred from another school after sixth grade, and GUS was so different in such a formative way because it put the arts on the same level as athletics. It encouraged and fostered my creativity and helped me come into my own creatively. GUS also placed a much higher value on individualism, and I felt more empowered to be myself there. I changed so much in my two years there, and I am so grateful that I transferred.

Where are you now, and what are you doing?

I've been trained as and worked as a lawyer in New York City, but I'm also currently pursuing an MFA at NYU in creative writing, specifically in creative nonfiction.

In what ways do you feel GUS prepared you for what you're doing now?

The emphasis on creativity and individualism at GUS prepared me to always pursue my passions and to stay true to myself; it also taught me not to be afraid to go after what I want, even if it is less conventional.

Any words of advice for current GUS students?

Don't be afraid to follow your passions; don't be afraid to forge a new path if your first path doesn't feel right. You never stop learning about yourself, and you never stop growing.

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