Kate Madsen, a graduate student studying Couple and Family Therapy, has been through a lot in the last year. 

She moved from conservative Salt Lake City to more liberal Chicago, leaving family and friends behind. She gave up a job working with the homeless, enrolled at PNW, and did it all in the midst of a pandemic.

“I wasn’t cooped up at home,” she said. “I was going out wearing a mask when I needed to.”  

Madsen, a gay woman who grew up in a strict Mormon household, found the religion’s beliefs made it hard tor her to remain in Salt Lake City. She thought Chicago would be more accepting.

She and some friends packed a trailer and drove across the country. She admits her first days in Chicago were difficult, because she struggled to find parking spaces. 

At first, the pandemic took its toll because Madsen was bombarded with social media narratives that shared false information.  

“I had bad anxiety throughout this entire thing, so I deleted my social media platforms, which made me disassociate myself from my feelings as well as separated from people in my life,” she said. “This last year I prioritized and became more grateful in my relationships with others.”

Plus, she got a lot of help from the friends who accompanied her on her journey.

“The support I had throughout this made me realize how privileged I am,” Madsen said. “I had so much support with my family, friends, and my partner. They made it super easy to manage.”