Kate McKinney is the 2025-26 recipient of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Career Development Grant. She spoke Saturday afternoon, Feb. 21 to a joint meeting of the AAUW Oakdale, Riverbank, Escalon and Turlock, Modesto Branches at their annual Fund Luncheon about her transition into mathematics after a decade-long career in arts leadership. McKinney holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of South Carolina and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Mathematics at San Francisco State University.
Back when McKinney was an undergraduate in South Carolina, she had fantasies of being a ‘Southern Belle’ and although she had always enjoyed and excelled in mathematics, she pursued a career in the arts. Her instrument was her voice and she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance. Though she couldn’t technically be a southern belle, she thought perhaps she could play one. She did have several roles in the theater, but found her career path in arts administration. She worked for South Carolina Public Radio as an Associate Director/Producer of a daily, two-hour classical music show. From there she applied to arts administrative jobs around the country and got a job in marketing and development at West Edge Opera in Berkeley, moving there in November 2016 and then to San Francisco in 2022. She was one of three full-time staff members at that company. From there she was hired at the San Francisco Symphony, and then San Francisco Ballet where she stayed for six years before leaving for graduate school.
McKinney says she always loved algebra, and during the pandemic her interest in mathematics was reawakened; she resolved to transition from music to mathematics reasoning “if not now, when”? After re-teaching herself algebra and pre-calculus while continuing to work full time at the San Francisco Ballet, she enrolled at City College of San Francisco. In 2025, she began the Masters in Mathematics program at San Francisco State University.
McKinney learned about AAUW while searching for grants. She was amazed by the history of the organization and what it does – its emphasis on higher education for women and encouraging girls to engage in and pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). She expressed her gratitude to AAUW saying that the grant covered her tuition and gave her the freedom to take jobs she wants rather than ones that she had to take in order to support herself. While McKinney isn’t sure yet what her professional plans are once she gets her master’s degree, she says she will “likely pursue math teaching, likely for community college or advanced high school students”, and in whatever she does she will incorporate her desire to serve people less fortunate and to support and mentor women in mathematics.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and more than 800 college and university members. Learn more at www.aauw.org.
Oakdale, Riverbank, Escalon Branch information is at http://ore-ca.aauw.net and Turlock, Modesto Branch is at https://turlock-ca.aauw.net/.
Graduates holding an associates or higher degree from an institution of the AAUW list of qualified institutions and persons holding an honorary degree are eligible for membership in AAUW.
