The ReCity team is excited to announce that we have a new intern, Kathryn Thacker!
Hi there! My name is Kathryn Thacker and I am thrilled to be joining the ReCity team as an intern for the summer. This May marked my graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Political Science and Global Studies, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to settle into ReCity during these first few months of post-grad transition. I am so excited to meet you all and learn from your meaningful work in Durham – please don’t hesitate to stop by and introduce yourself!
About me!
I was born and raised in Durham and lived in the same home in Northern Durham for my entire childhood! I went to Easley Elementary, Brogden Middle, and Riverside High before venturing over to Chapel Hill for college. In case you are wondering-- I grew up as a Duke fan and very slowly became a Tar Heel (I had a slight moral crisis in the process, but it seems to have worked itself out). In general, I have two speeds: 100 mph and asleep. In my spare time, I love to hike, read, swing in hammocks, watch movies (let’s hear it for the Marvel Universe!), drink coffee, play pick-up soccer, and ask to pet strangers’ dogs. As I fall into a routine post-graduation, I plan to spend time learning more delicious (and easy) recipes, reading for fun, and planting my own herb garden. Lastly, in honor of being fully transparent, my current guilty pleasure is watching The Bachelorette with my girlfriends. If you have a dog, fun recipes, book recommendations, coffee shop suggestions, or tips for planting on a budget, let’s chat!
Why Durham and why ReCity?
In my classrooms, I learned about the systems that marginalize, oppress, and disempower so many people groups. I was exposed to the disparate mortality, disease, poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, and incarceration statistics of minority, immigrant, and LGBTQIA+ populations. All of this deeply impacted me, but remained at a comfortable distance. I spent the summer after my junior year interning with DurhamCares, a ReCity partner, and the deep reality of these injustices came to life in front of me. I was able to listen and learn from the people who have lived this reality for much of their lives. While these stories are often saturated with pain, dehumanization, and inequality, I have seen Durham’s people still choose to be creative, passionate, brave and neighborly. I have a connection to this city because of the people’s resiliency and simple desire to live and live well with each other. My hope for my three months at ReCity is that I honor Durham’s resiliency by serving each of you, your organizations, and your clients as we all pursue a more just, equitable, and loving Durham together.