Employee shares how she’s combined her life passions

“I love what I do as a property adjuster. It is a combination of my love of numbers and helping other people,” says Katina. “And, on the weekends, I can go to the beach and write.”

A property adjuster by day and author by night – Katina P., based in Tampa, found a way to combine her knack for numbers and love for writing.

After pursuing a career in finance for years, she discovered her creative side while exploring careers that could give her more flexibility as she raises her two kids. First, she started a maid service, earned an MBA in marketing and management and then began a small marketing consulting firm. It was while managing these businesses that she discovered her knack for writing.

"When I got married and had two kids, I sold my financial-planning practice and explored several careers that could give me more independence at that time,” explains Katina. “My passion for writing and early education met when I wrote my first book.”

An advocate of early education, Katina worked to ensure her kids were strong readers at a young age. This mission is what inspired her to write children’s books focused on growth, independence and empowerment, and reflects her approach to raising her two children, Earl and Sierra.

 “I taught them to read by three – reading was everything to them,” says Katina. “They loved books. Taking them to Half Price Books and letting them pick out a few was like going to Disneyland. I tried to make learning part of their daily routine – we’d have spelling bees as they got dressed in the morning, and we’d come up with math problems to solve at the grocery store.”

Now, at USAA, Katina has come full circle. She’s again working in the finance sector where she began her career but still finds time to write. She says her role allows her the balance she needs.

“I love what I do as a property adjuster. It is a combination of my love of numbers and helping other people,” says Katina. “And, on the weekends, I can go to the beach and write.”

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