Katherine Bray
Katherine Bray’s life was upended by Hurricane Helene, which severely damaged her home and workplace in Asheville. The storm forced the psychiatric treatment center where she worked full-time, to close, leaving her without a job. Power and water outages lasted weeks, and her car was damaged.
“The devastation was immediate and overwhelming. I did not have potable water in my home for 53 days,” Katherine said.
Despite these hardships, Katherine quickly volunteered with FEMA, assisting in body recovery and running a mental health services tent to support those affected. Now a full-time graduate student at Duke University, she is pursuing her master’s degree in nursing to become a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.
“I am committed to advancing community-based mental health care in rural western North Carolina,” she said. “The need for accessible, compassionate care has only grown since the hurricane.”
Katherine’s goal is to expand nurse-led mental health services through telepsychiatry, harm reduction programs, and policy advocacy. At Duke, she helps develop a substance use and harm reduction curriculum and engages in state advocacy efforts.
The North Carolina Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief and Resilience Scholarship has been an important source of support as she continues her education in the wake of the storm’s impact.
“Your scholarship affirms the importance of person-centered and evidence-based treatments for populations who often go unheard and unserved. I am profoundly grateful for your belief in my potential and promise to honor your support by leading innovation and ensuring compassionate, equitable care reaches every corner of our region.”
-Katherine Bray, 2025 NCCF Disaster Relief and Resilience Scholar