Katelyn’s Blog

Welcome to Tatooine

4 years ago I realized that I didn’t have any Star Wars gear. I’m not a huge star wars fan, but it’s something I enjoy to see others enjoy. I picked out this shirt because it kind of looks like a travel / destination shirt and is subtly references Star Wars.

Staples Pride – one pulse

4 years ago I had just finished an awesome Pride Parade. I was rocking my Staples rainbow shirt that I helped create the design for. And then all of a sudden things changed. A gunman entered a gay night club in Orlando celebrating a Latinx night and killed 49 people. The Staples community came together, both in Framingham and Orlando. The Orlando office created this limited edition shirt to honor the victims.

JMU Gymnastics

I had a number of friends who have competed for the JMU Gymnastics team. Unfortunately the team was disbanded a few years after this, but I’m happy to report I am still the proud owner of this t-shirt!

“Allison Weiss”

I was introduced to the band AW back in grad school by my friend Christine. I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve even posted a video requesting money for them to make a record (I was wearing this shirt!). I’ve always loved this graphic of the dinosaur spike spelling their name! I’ve seen them play a number of times and acquired a few different shirts along the way! The latest one is coming up later in the series…

3rd Annual New England Rugby Pub Crawl

My friend Denise played rugby and she’d invite me to join her team and the other New England teams. Along with your “registration” you’d get a t-shirt. This is one of my favorites because it’s a formal look within a casual shirt.

Thompsons Boys Program: Building Strength Through Gymnastics

This shirt design has been floating around my dad’s gym since I was little, and I finally managed to nab one from the back closet just before the boys program went extinct. Now, if I only I could manage the iron cross the guy is doing on the shirt!

“¿Homo estas?” – Gay, are you?

I got this shirt off the Chipotle truck at the 2015 Boston Pride Parade. We were staged near the group and I grabbed a shirt before we started marching. The person who handed me my shirt was from upstate New York and I was shocked and proud that Chipotle was able to mobilize folks from all over the north east to come to the parade.

South Hadley Alumni – ’04

A few years ago – OK, 16 years ago – I graduated from high school. I got this shirt as a gift at some point after that from my friend Nate. Orange is my favorite color since we were the Tigers and our colors were orange and black. Nate knew I had some serious school pride and that I needed this shirt to continue to show it off!

Bentley College

I got this shirt before I started school at Bentley and before they dropped the “College” and eventually picking up the “University”. I have two diplomas from the same school, but one says “Bentley College” and the other “Bentley University”.

Boston Strong

On April 15, 2013 I was enjoying one of my favorite days in Boston – Marathon Monday. After watching the Red Sox win I spilled out into Kenmore Square to cheer on the runners.

I was a few hundred feet up the race course from Kenmore. I saw the police officers moving towards Kenmore Square and assumed that there was some sort of fight happening – but there wasn’t. It was much worse than that.

I don’t run – I cheer. I have cheered for many marathons since my first in 2005 (thanks Shavonne!) and love the feeling of standing at the 1 mile-to-go mark and cheer those runners through to the end. In 2014 I rode my bike along the entire race course with my friend Karen. It was incredible to be able to experience the course through my own power and also heartbreaking to make that left onto Boylston and think about all of those who were not able to finish the race the year before.

We will always be Boston Strong – in the way we came together to help people who were injured and stranded that day. And in the ways we continue to come together each year to remember and put rubber to the pavement.