My Story 

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My name is Katelynn Manz and I'm a daughter of the Salish Sea, a native of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, grateful to the true natives living here before me. The Pacific Northwest is a biodiverse region of conifers, wild berries, wildflowers, glacially cut peaks and shoreline, rich farmland and wetlands, eroding bluffs and coulees. I’m forever grateful for our lives exploring here; these mountains and coasts, from every valley, estuary, inlet, and tide.

 

Growing up, my family vacationed inland for a couple weeks each summer, exploring the back roads, trails, fishing, swimming holes, and restaurants of eastern Washington. Although they couldn't stand each other, I’ve inherited an addiction to travel and movement, imparted by backpacking trips with my dad to Central America and Thailand, or wanderings in the backyard with my mom. Constantly I hiked and playfully climbed around the state. In high school I continued the adventure tradition by exploring our town. When we could drive, my friends and I would push boundaries with our parents to go as far as we could, driving as far as Portland in a school night. Otherwise we were at concerts, listening to any local band practicing for their Seattle debut, loving to mosh and get close to people through music.  

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From the dysfunctional Navy town of Bremerton, an hours' scenic ferry ride from Seattle, the waterways provide seemingly endless shoreline, and bridges connect low rent neighborhoods with views of orcas and the Olympic Mountains. Inspired by arts culture and wanting to get involved, I volunteered doing outreach with record labels, radio stations, and festivals. Eventually I graduated from Washington State University Pullman with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, studying English, Music, and Philosophy, with a conviction that being rooted in land and art are both therapeutic and required for health. Now I’m all organic and provide tips on living minimally and sustainably. My loves manifest in yoga, singing, running, writing, photography, and nature.

 

It was a journey figuring out my path, and to my minors in Business Administration and Public Relations. Recently I’ve done all scheduling, website management, content creation, and designing of outreach materials for the Computer Science Department at Western Washington University, where my reach is broad, and attention to detail and thought to accessibility and target audience is key. Currently I'm working for the North Cascades Institute, living in North Cascades National Park. 

 

Having previously tutored in the WSU writing center, I’m hoping to continue developing my writing skills, both creatively and technically, so please reach out for commissioned work or tutoring! I'm a professional storyteller, experienced with content creation, web accessibility, SEO, web development, branding, public relations, event planning and promotion, copy writing and editing, layout design, and graphic design. I'm available to design marketing collateral, review writing, tutor, consult, or photograph!

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I believe in peace through love. I believe we are nature, all things are connected, and nature is necessary for our wellbeing and survival. I believe everyone deserves equality and access to resources. I believe eating organic and shopping local is crucial for health, sustainability, conservation, and equality. 

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If you have a question or would like to collaborate, I can be reached at weseekthesea@gmail.com

 

Contact me for freelance hire! 

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