Balancing Classes and Community: Student Katherine Silverio’s Inspiring Journey

For Monroe student Katherine Silverio, service is a guiding force in both her personal and professional life. Indeed, she was recognized late last year as a Power Woman of the Bronx, an awards ceremony put on by Schneps Media.

Born and raised in the Bronx to Dominican parents, Katherine grew up with a strong connection to education and community. Her mother spent more than 36 years as a teacher, and while Katherine chose a different role, she found her place within the school system as a parent coordinator. She helps connect parents with their child’s teacher, as well as to resources in the school, the community, and beyond.

“My role is really about engaging the parents and being the bridge between the parents and the school,” she explained. “I try to build that relationship with the families as well as the teachers and the principals.”

As a mother, Katherine’s personal experience deepens her understanding of the families she supports -- the late nights with a child struggling to sleep; the sometimes complicated systems to secure education, childcare, or healthcare; the pressure to provide the very best possible for your child.

“I understand now more the parent aspect of what I do,” she said. “It really affects the work that I do, and the empathy that I have for our families.”

This isn’t Katherine’s first time in college. After starting years ago, she was forced to step away due to mounting financial and family responsibilities. Now, Silverio both works and attends Monroe full-time as a Business Administration student while raising her young son. He is her motivation, her inspiration, her reason.

“It hit me,” she said. “How can I expect to push education on him and then I haven’t finished?”

Finding balance hasn’t always been easy. There were times she doubted herself; times she wondered, “Why did I pick full time?”

“And then next thing I knew, the semester was over, and I was like, ‘Oh, look, I did it.’ I shed a few tears here and there, but hey, I did it,” she said.

In her spare time, Katherine is also a makeup artist. It’s work she finds highly fulfilling because she gets to help others feel their best.

“I like doing makeup for a purpose, not just for the money,” she said.

Girls who need their makeup done for prom or graduation but can’t afford it aren’t turned away.

“I tell them, ‘don’t worry about it. I’ll do it for you,’” she said.

Her work has also extended into broader community efforts, including leading a back-to-school carnival that provides over 400 backpacks annually to families in need. She also fostered a partnership with Everyday Is A Miracle, a local organization that helps feed more than 130 people every other week.

Recently, she donated her makeup artist services to a fashion show for breast cancer survivors organized by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. It is one of the proudest moments of her life.

Another proud moment?

Her recognition as a “Power Woman of the Bronx.”

“It was definitely a surprise because it’s nice to be recognized, especially when you do things out of just passion for your community,” she said.

What makes a powerful woman in Katherine’s eyes?

“Being the light in someone’s life,” she said. “Knowing that that person has a safe person to come to and to just light the way for them.”

Even as she balances motherhood, career, and her education, Katherine remains focused on being a beacon for her community, her family, and her own future.

You are an inspiration, Katherine!