About
For Katie Bouchard Barnett ’17, some of the most meaningful parts of her life today—her career, her family and her faith—have roots at Carroll College.
Katie graduated from Carroll in 2017 with a degree in Nursing. It was also at Carroll that she met her husband, David Barnett ’17, during their freshman year. Today, the couple lives in Hermiston, Oregon, where they are raising their five children: Jane, 7; Samuel, 6; Charles, 4; Rosemary, 2; and Martha, 5 months.
Katie works part-time as a registered nurse at Good Shepherd Health Care, a critical access hospital in Hermiston, specializing in labor and delivery, recovery and postpartum care.
“I am blessed to work in a job where I get to help welcome new life into this world,” Katie said. “I get to be there to support new parents in some of the best, and sometimes worst, times in their lives.”
For Katie, one of the most rewarding parts of nursing is being able to walk alongside new mothers through the different stages of their experience—from encouraging them during labor and delivery to returning the next night to help them adjust to life with a new baby.
She credits Carroll’s nursing program with teaching her that excellent care extends far beyond a diagnosis.
“The Carroll nursing program really taught me to look at and care for the whole person, not just the diagnosis,” she said. “I think it makes me a better nurse knowing how to care for all aspects of a patient’s health.”
That personal approach to education is also what Katie remembers most fondly about Carroll. The College’s small class sizes allowed professors to truly know their students and invest in their success.
“The professors knew us all by name and cared about us as people,” she said. “We knew they wanted us to succeed in our education and future careers.”
Her Carroll memories extend well beyond the classroom. Katie fondly remembers cheering on the Fighting Saints football team from the student section and attending swing dances. But one of Carroll’s most lasting impacts on her life came through her faith.
“The foundation of my Catholic faith began at Carroll, through Sunday night Mass in the chapel and RCIA with Fr. Marc,” Katie shared.
Nearly a decade after graduating, Katie’s Carroll experience continues to show up in the way she approaches her career, her faith and her family—caring for the whole person, supporting others through some of life’s most important moments, and carrying forward the relationships and values that began during her years on the Hilltop.
Once a Saint, always a Saint. 💜💛
