Alumni Spotlight: Katie Hood '10

Alumna Katie Hood ’10 is Director of Social Media and Content at Assembly Global in Columbia. Assembly is a global marketing agency headquartered in New York City. Katie and her team use data and analytics to drive creativity, uncovering messaging opportunities, creative units, and media touchpoints to help clients nurture authentic and lasting relationships with audiences.

 

Hammond, however, is never far from her mind. “It has been almost 12 years since I graduated, meaning I've spent as much time away from Hammond as I ever spent at Hammond, and yet, it still feels a little bit like home. Thousands of miles away, years and years after graduating, someone at Hammond will always know you and make you feel welcome. Maybe that's Hammond's real superpower.”

 

Katie credits Hammond for teaching her how to write, how to be the hardest worker in the room, and for instilling in her the belief that she can do anything. “That belief, a relentless work ethic, and the ability to communicate with confidence are why I am where I am today,” notes Katie.  She has been successful in combining her can-do attitude with the skills she uses at Assembly to recognize the need in Columbia for a specialty floral business and to seize the opportunity to fill that niche.

 

 “In 2020, I needed a creative outlet. I pitched two new offerings to my mom for her floral business, Perfect Petals. That same month, we hosted Columbia's very first pop-up picnic and a few weeks later built our first seasonal door garland for another Hammond Alum. Today, we offer custom decorative door garlands for the fall and holiday season and custom pop-up picnics for all of life's special moments. From birthdays and graduations to showers, game nights, and more, if you can dream it, we can do it!” 

 

“Hammond is a special place and I consider myself extremely lucky to have attended such a great school for 12 years. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for making that happen!”