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“Katrina Watson exemplifies the qualities of a deserving recipient," President Conoley said. “Her academic excellence, leadership and dedication to serving others make her a shining example of resilience, compassion and selflessness.” 

I find it easy to converse with older people, listen to them and meet them where they are. It’s a population I’m very comfortable with. 

Watson is no stranger to loss herself. 

In her nomination letter to the Board of Trustees, Conoley recognized the bumpy road Watson had traveled, calling the young woman “a firsthand witness to the impact of compassionate care." 

Indeed, Watson has been both the recipient and the giver of compassionate care for much of her life. Her childhood was marked by emotional turbulence, and Watson leaned heavily on the unwavering comfort of her father and other older relatives. After her parents' divorce, her father was awarded full custody of her and her brother — but, by then, she was already 17 and about to face another wave of hardship.

She wrote about it in her scholarship essay: 

"In 2022, my great-uncle passed away due to COVID-19 complications," she wrote. "My cousin passed away from mantle cell lymphoma, and my father received the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. A year later, my grandfather endured a six-month-long hospitalization due to chronic health issues stemming from his deployment in Vietnam, requiring multiple life-saving surgeries."

While carrying a full load of classes, she still managed to be with them — aiding and advocating — every step of the way. Her father's cancer went into remission, and her grandfather recovered. It never occurred to her not to care for them. 

"I was raised on the idea of helping others," she said, "being involved in the community."

So when her great-uncle died in 2022, it was in Watson’s nature to begin making regular visits to his wife of 64 years.

More time doesn't necessarily mean that you're able to do more with your life. I think it's important to respect people's medical decisions — even if it's not the decision that you would make for yourself.

It turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made.

Watson described her great-aunt as “the kind of woman where — you knew when you had a conversation with her, she was fully invested. She was right there with you in that moment. I feel like that's something very special.” 

Watson continued those regular visits for the next two years — right up until her great-aunt’s sudden death in June. 

“I saw her two days before she passed away,” Watson recalled. “None of us were expecting it. I spent the night at her house. We were both downstairs in the morning, and I stayed. I think we talked from like 10 a.m. until, like, 3 p.m." 

Watson was heartbroken by the loss yet fully aware that such experiences would be unavoidable in her chosen industry. 

“A lot of the people I work with are going to pass away before I do,” she said. “In some ways I felt it should be easier, especially since that’s an expected part of it. But death doesn't get easier. I think it's important to sit with it as it is.”  

Watson plans to approach the healthcare industry with the respect and mindful compassion that her great-aunt showed to her.

"It’s challenging to be that present and that involved,” Watson said. “But I want to try."