Catherine Gooding is a Master of Public Policy student at the Heller School with a concentration in Economic and Racial Equity. Originally from Morgantown, West Virginia, Catherine is a proud Appalachian. She believes that environmental justice is central to community wealth and wellbeing and is committed to grassroots economic development solutions which uplift rural communities. Before starting at Heller, Catherine completed two years of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Honors College at West Virginia University, launching an experiential learning program and developing the Honors College’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Catherine is also a member of the Morgantown chapter of the National Organization for Women and works with a statewide task force to advocate for the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act at the state and local levels around West Virginia. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. In her free time, Catherine enjoys reading and cross stitch, and she is never happier than when she is spending time in the mountains. As a Segal Fellow, Catherine is excited to learn more about rural community development practices this summer.