Faces of Global: Gloria Kat

Key Takeaways

Gloria Kat is passionate about serving children, families, and those in need. This desire fueled her decision to become a CSU Global student after many years away from the classroom.

Kat began considering going back to school after the non-profit she worked for shut down their program. “I’m very passionate about non-profits, and I had learned a lot about them, so I knew I wanted to find a new job in this industry,” she shared.

Before attending CSU Global, Kat graduated from a university in Mexico with a degree in communication studies. However, as she began applying for jobs in the non-profit field, she found many positions were requiring credentials from an accredited national university. “I was hoping that I was going to land a job right away but that didn’t happen,” she shared. “The university I graduated from is recognized but it does not have an international program. The portals I was using to apply for jobs had very specific requirements regarding how you present your education, and they wouldn’t let me move forward.”

Kat knew she had the experience and knowledge to succeed in the non-profit industry and decided going back to school was the right choice for her career. “I began exploring the universities here in Fort Collins, but I was also a busy mom, so I decided to explore CSU Global and the option of online classes,” she explained. “The university provides a learning model that really targets adults returning to the classroom,” she mentioned.

Kat’s CSU Global advisor also impacted her decision to enroll. “I remember the student advisor was really amazing explaining to me how things work and guiding me through the process of transferring my records and transcripts from Mexico.”

One concern Kat had was the challenge of learning in an online environment. “I’m used to learning in a live setting, I like being able to see my teacher and talk to him and look at all my classmates,” she said. “But I thought to myself, I’m sure I can adjust, and I really want to do this.”

Kat mentioned that becoming an online student led to a deep investment in her classes. “I noticed a huge difference in my level of involvement and commitment,” she said. “It wasn’t just this feeling of ‘I need to study.’ I wanted to study!”

Being able to complete coursework at any time of day was a huge help. “I loved the research, I couldn’t get enough of it,” she commented. “It was great because I could study for hours late at night when my daughter was asleep. Or I could login at 6 a.m. when everything was quiet at home, take a break, and then return to my studies in the afternoon. That flexibility was something I really appreciated.”

Kat had to endure many new challenges near the end of her time at CSU Global. She was promoted to a higher position at a new job, her mom was diagnosed with cancer in Mexico, and her daughter began doing school at home because of the pandemic. She persevered through these unexpected life changes and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in human services in 2021.

It was rewarding for Kat to see her degree positively impact her life. “The credentials I received at CSU Global really complemented all the experience I had in the non-profit sector. The theory was the only piece I was missing, but after obtaining my degree the puzzle was complete. I think this benefitted me a lot when I started out as the Program Director of Family Support Services at The Family Center/La Familia.” Kat still works at The Family Center today and has served as the Executive Director for five years.

As part of her work at The Family Center, Kat started a partnership with Front Range Community College to provide their early childhood curriculum in Spanish. This is one of the projects she is most proud of. She even presented a session on this topic at the 2025 CSU Symposium, entitled “Developing Early Childhood Courses for the Spanish-Speaking Community: Successes and Obstacles.”

Kat encourages anyone going back to school to do it for themselves, not to please anyone else, and to take things at their own pace. “I knew I could only go back to school part-time and that was okay,” she noted. “Even if it would’ve taken me four or five years to finish, I didn’t care. Some people want to go back to school full time and be done in two years but that was too much for me. So it’s important to know how to balance your own schedule and be okay with that.”

We love hearing from our students and learning more about their personal CSU Global experiences. We hope they inspire you as much as they inspire us!