Katie Noe is known as one of the biggest Zips fans out there. She mingles with athletic coaches, and was honored once at a basketball game for her Blue and Gold enthusiasm. Katie is treated as an honorary sister of Delta Gamma sorority, of which her two younger sisters, Kellie ’15 and ’17, and Kristie ’18, are members. She knows the metropolitan campus by heart.
But she’s never been a student at The University of Akron.
Katie, a 27-year-old from Wadsworth, has Down syndrome. She’s never had the opportunity to live the proverbial “college life” that so many people experience.
That didn’t stop her family from making Katie feel just like a student.
Favorite destination is UA
“We would take Katie on car rides several times during the week, just driving through campus,” said her father, UA alumnus Mike Noe ’87. “Several times, we even saw Zippy! We would drive around the stadium and Katie would wave to the students. It made her feel like a part of the campus. Katie knows that her sisters and dad are all alumni and she wants to be one, too.”
Katie’s parents reached out to UA to see what could be done about giving Katie any sort of distinction, like the diplomas her sisters and father so proudly have.
Last Wednesday, Katie officially became part of UA when she was presented with an Honorary Alumna Award during a ceremony in front of Buchtel Hall. Katie and her family were joined by Interim President Dr. John Green; Kim Cole, vice president of development and executive director of the UA Foundation; Willy Kollman, assistant vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the UA Alumni Association; and, of course, Zippy.
“The University of Akron believes in treating its alumni as a family,” said Kollman. “When Katie’s father reached out, he was looking for help to simply create a certificate for Katie out of her love of UA. We thought we could do a little better than a certificate. We wanted to allow her to join her sisters in being a part of the University and its nearly 180,000 other family members in the Alumni Association.”
For Katie, it’s more than becoming part of a family. It’s a dream come true.
“One night when we were out driving, Katie was talking to her mom and me about this ceremony. She said, ‘I am so happy, this is my dream!’” recalled Noe.
When Katie isn’t cruising through campus (hoping to spot Zippy), she’s likely volunteering at many places around the Akron area, such as Feed Medina County, Akon-Canton Regional Foodbank, The Giving Doll and Embrace Pregnancy — all while proudly wearing Blue and Gold.
Media contact: Alex Knisely, 330-972-7429 or aknisely@uakron.edu.
Katie Noe poses with her favorite college mascot, Zippy, in front of Buchtel Hall.
Surrounding Katie, from left, are Interim President Dr. John Green, Kristie Noe, Joey and Kellie George, Jan VanSteenskiste, grandmother; Terri Noe, mother; Jeff Batey, Kristie's fiancé; and Mike Noe, father.