Kathryn L. Wilson
William Oxley Thompson Award
B.A. Communication, 2002
If you’re ever on a ski lift at Keystone, you might meet the self-described “biggest Buckeye fan in Colorado.” Born and raised in Ohio, Kathryn Wilson displays her Buckeye spirit daily in her adopted home, Denver. She says Columbus is 1,264 miles from Denver—but never far from her heart. An active member of the Rocky Mountain Alumni Club, she brings credit to her alma mater through the high standards she maintains in her professional career and through her countless hours of volunteer community work.
A 2002 graduate, Wilson advanced in less than five years from intern to counselor with JohnstonWells Public Relations, a full-service firm with clients ranging from Qwest Communications and Washington Mutual to Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream. JohnstonWells president and chief operating office GG Johnston describes Wilson as a “shameless promoter of Ohio State and its sports teams” and as “dogged about exemplifying loyalty and commitment through constantly challenging [her colleagues] to be smarter, hipper, and ahead of the curve. She does everything with that ‘crazy Buckeye spirit.’”
Wilson plays a leadership role in a company-sponsored pro bono program that teaches nonprofit organizations how to promote themselves. She is active in the Denver Press Club and the Colorado chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. And, as part of her work with Qwest Communications, she developed teen technology councils involving more than 2,000 students at schools in Colorado, Arizona, Minnesota, Washington, and Oregon. The councils facilitate discussions about ways to avoid online predators and identity theft.
Kathryn Wilson’s public service also extends to a schedule of volunteer activities that would keep most people busy full-time. She became involved with Colorado Youth at Risk as a mentor to high-risk teens at one of the most challenged high schools in Denver. “I encourage them to believe in themselves and show courage in their difficult situations. Every one of them can affect change in their futures, and they can make a difference in this world,” she says. As a member of the nonprofit organization’s board of directors, she currently serves as the marketing and public relations chair.
For three years, Wilson worked with YouthBiz, a nonprofit group that gives inner-city teenagers experiences in managing youth-run enterprises. She also tutors at Denver’s Cole Middle School, participates in March of Dimes fund-raisers, and spreads her boundless enthusiasm for service—and for Ohio State—to colleagues, neighbors, and everyone else she meets. In between professional work and volunteer activities, Wilson can be found snowboarding or hiking with her Saint Bernard, whose name is a clue to her contagious alumni spirit: Scarlet Grayce.
