Meet Katie Smith, 2021 Alum

Katie Smith is a 2021 Patterson School graduate that is currently working at the Department of Commerce in the International Trade Administration as an International Trade Compliance Analyst. Her department is responsible for protecting domestic industries from foreign products that can outcompete with American goods. Some of her duties include reading through questionnaires, analyzing data, and evaluating companies’ responses to gauge if dumping is in fact occurring. One of the most exciting parts of the job is being able to travel overseas to audit companies by observing their production processes and identifying any areas of concern. During her time at Patterson, she majored in diplomacy and minored in development. As a Patterson student during the COVID-19 pandemic, Katie was not able to travel as much as she hoped, but she feels the Patterson School still prepared her to enter a career in the international field. In her future career she is interested in leaning into more research-based positions, potentially with the Library of Congress or something similar.

Prior to her job at the ITA, she worked for a non-profit called Meridian International Center which facilitated educational exchange programs for the State Department, otherwise known as the International Visitors Leadership Program. She never thought her career would bring her to work in the field of commerce, but the comprehensive curriculum at Patterson prepared her to explore jobs in all concentration areas. Katie also highlights the small class sizes as a key pillar in developing her communications skills, which have been essential in her career thus far. Her advice to current and future Patterson students is to lean on the alumni network because they are extremely helpful in seeing what jobs are possible and getting advice on how to get there. She also says to be patient and to go with the flow because “opportunities will come when you least expect them”. If you want to be in a specific location, then go all in and opportunities will arise.