About Katherine
E. Katherine Kottaras (she/they) is a contemplative writer, holistic teacher, multimedia artist, and homeschooling parent. As an Associate Professor of English at the community college level, she's proud of her work as a writing and mindfulness teacher for over two decades. She holds an M.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine, and an M.S. in Kinesiology, with a focus on Integrative Wellness, from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Katherine is the author of the critically-acclaimed young adult contemporary novels, HOW TO BE BRAVE (St. Martin’s Press, 2015) and THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER (St. Martin’s Press, 2016). She co-created YOGA ELEONORA on PillowFortTV, and she co-wrote the forthcoming picture book, A RAINBOW INSIDE MY BODY, with Vanitha Swaminathan, illustrated by Holly Hatam (Viking, 2024).
As a registered yoga teacher, an ACE-certified personal trainer, an ACE-certified health coach, and a newly-certified (2024) Embodied Equity educator, Katherine is passionate about bodily self-determination and health equity. She lives with chronic, invisible illness, and as such, she believes in holistic and inclusive approaches to expression, healing, and growth for all. In June 2023, her visual art piece, YOU WERE BORN OF LOVE, was selected by glendaleOUT for their exhibit, “MAPPING MY QUEER: Body Mapping Our Queer Identity," hosted by the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture. She's grateful for holistic opportunities to meditate on her body’s histories, presence, and healing futures through her written and visual works.
She has served as a board member for the Children's Literature Council of Southern California and as a volunteer for We Need Diverse Books. Honored as PCC's 2019 Ally of the Year and recipient of the 2021 Above and Beyond Award, she champions marginalized students. As a PCC 2023 Community-based Learning Faculty Fellow and recipient of the 2024 Community Excellence Grant (funded by a gift from MacKenzie Scott), she explores her graduate-level research on Contemplative Environmentalism and place-based community storytelling to enhance community health and connection in partnership with her colleagues, students, and community organizations during her daily work at Pasadena City College.​
Interested in how storytelling can (re)connect and (re)define worlds, she believes in an inclusive, empathetic, and loving future. Outside of her work, she enjoys gardening, woodworking, crafting, snuggling with fluffy animals, hiking, and drawing on kitchen walls.