Katie McQuaid
I grew up on the Kāpiti Coast, a small seaside town called Paraparaumu in Aotearoa New Zealand. I studied at Massey University completing a Sport Business degree and then a one year teaching diploma before entering the profession as a qualified Health and Physical Education teacher. I taught for nine years in the wider Wellington region and loved the relationships I was able to build with my students. I also lived overseas for a time, working at a summer camp in Pennsylvania, USA and then onto Whistler in Canada. I moved to the mighty Waikato at the beginning of 2021 and currently work for the Ministry of Education in the local regional office. Sport remains a huge passion of mine and I enjoy spending time with friends and family.
What was the first book that made you cry?
The first book that made me cry was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Definitely a tearjerker and tugged at the heartstrings.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I think I would just try write more often and seek feedback on that writing. Any feedback is good feedback and can be built upon.
Have you Googled yourself? Did you find out anything interesting?
I Googled myself just now out of pure curiosity. Turns out there are a few other Katie/Katy McQuaid’s out there – one in particular who has written a book about her life in the CIA… intriguing.