Katie Green to study physical therapy

Katie Green, the salutatorian for Naselle/Grays River High School’s Class of 2014 might be a little shy or it might be that her interviewer forgot to introduce herself.

Green, who was born in Astoria and has gone to school in Naselle since preschool, is the daughter of Jerry and Laurie Green and will finish her studies with a GPA of 3.76.

She competed with the basketball team but ultimately she is a runner, having competed for the cross country team all four years of high school and running distance for the track team each spring. She opted out of track this spring.

“Track is just kind of stressful when you run the 3200, 1600, the 800 and the 400. If you run all four or even just two or three of them each meet it gets to be a lot,” Green said. “It would have been hard at the end of this year, since I was so busy finishing up school and applying for scholarships.”

Applying for scholarships is just one thing Green is glad to be done with. This young woman is ready for something new. She’s been going to work and practice and school for four years now.

“School, sports, work. School, sports, work,” Green said, a kind of mantra to get through this moment and on to the next.

“Up until this year I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she said. “But I had to do physical therapy for track last year and I liked going and learning about what they were doing.”

Green has decided to attend Eastern Washington University in the fall to study physical therapy and exercise science. She doesn’t have any specific plans other than that.

“I’m just going to go and see what happens,” Green said.

She ran a half marathon in Portland last year and a 15k this spring, so even though there will be a shift in her routine, the running will remain. Only the routes and the scenery and the climate will be different.

Her favorite subject was math, and her favorite teacher was Mr. Wise. She will never forget being part of the trio of Katies.

“Kayti N, Katie G and Katie O,” Green laughs. “We’ve been together since preschool and that’s how the teachers got our attention.”