Employee Spotlight: Kathryn Harvey, Bookstore Manager

Where are you originally from?

Born and raised in Omaha, Neb.

What is your educational background? 

I received my Bachelor's degree in General Studies from UNO. I specialized in International Studies with a focus on Nonprofits and Business Management.

What is your professional background?

I've worked in retail since I was 16 years old. My specialty became receiving and merchandise management. I've done work for a little bit of everyone, and my most memorable was working for Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska where I was the senior retail specialist. I worked to increase sales but also got to go to camp, travel with older scouts and see girls grow into themselves. Most recently, I came from Columbia Sportswear where I was the freight supervisor, handling all incoming product before it hit the floor. I also traveled to other stores experiencing management shortages to provide coverage.

What interested you in applying at Clarkson College?

I knew I wanted to grow with Follett Higher Education Group, who runs 1700 bookstores across the country, and Clarkson College is one of their entry-level stores. It gives me the opportunity to learn more about Follett, as well as work on building my skill set within the organization.

What are you most looking forward to about your new position?

Experiencing all aspects of operations instead of one specialized view.

How do you enjoy spending your leisure time?

I'm an avid hiker and photographer. I enjoy shooting nature and nighttime photography the most.

What is something others may not know about you?

I collect gnomes, but they can't have pointy ears and shoes because gnomes and elves aren't the same thing. I think I picked this up when I was in Germany as a teenager.