Katherine Warner

Katherine Elizabeth Warner from Glenpool, Oklahoma was awarded the $2,000 Bishop Gerald “Padre” Gettelfinger Scholarship. She belongs to St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church in the Diocese of Tulsa and is a member of Scouting America Troop 126 and 2319 in the Indian Nations Council.

Warner truly embodies the idea of servant leadership. When asked why volunteering is important to her, she responded, “For me, ‘Faith and Works’ is not just a phrase I heard growing up; it is a guide for how I choose to live my life. Through volunteering, I can transform belief into action, compassion into service and faith into something visible in the world around me.”

In service to the Catholic Church, Warner volunteered at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church as a cantor, lector and in both food service and clean up. She also participated in the National Eucharistic Congress and the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Warner earned two of the Catholic Religious Emblems offered by Catholic Scouting America, completing Parvuli Dei and Ad Altare Dei.

Warner served her community by providing more than five hundred hours of volunteer lifeguard services at the Will Rogers Scout Reservation. She also dedicated time to the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Emergency Infant Services and to supporting underserved youth through social justice concerts and volunteer work at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic School.

At Cascia Hall Preparatory School, Warner is a Gold Honor Roll student, an award given to students with a 4.00 grade point average or higher. She held leadership roles as president of both the Cascia Theater Department and the French Language Club. Warner also served as an officer for the Augustinian Youth Ministry and the Mass Choir, participated in Student Council, intramural swimming and volleyball, and captained the volleyball team.

In Scouting, Warner is a member of the Order of the Arrow (OA), Scouting America’s honor society. She held numerous leadership positions in her troop, including senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, quartermaster and troop Order of the Arrow representative. For her Eagle Scout Project, Warner worked with a team of volunteers to construct a Marian Prayer Garden at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic School. She raised more than $2,000 to fund the project, which took months of planning and coordination. This space provides students and parishioners with a quiet place for reflection and devotion to the Blessed Mother.

This year, Catholic Scouting America awarded fifteen service scholarships totaling $40,000 to recognize Scouts nationwide for outstanding service and leadership in four areas: the Catholic Church, their community, school and Scouting. Since 2005, Catholic Scouting America (NCCS) has awarded a total of $348,000 in scholarships to 146 Scouts nationwide.