How a Denison Experience Shaped Kat Palms’ Career and Life
For Denison University alumna Katherine (Kat) Palms’14, a 10-day experience in India during her senior year became much more than an opportunity to travel and study abroad. It introduced her to new perspectives on health and well-being, deepened her appreciation for community and culture, while ultimately planting seeds that continue to influence her personal and professional life today.
In addition to being a realtor in Northern Michigan, Kat also works in the wellness field as a wellness collective director, yoga and pilates studio director, retreat leader, and longevity coach. Looking back, she can trace many of her interests and career paths to her time at Denison and her transformative time abroad in India.
Finding Her Place at Denison
Originally considering colleges on the east coast, Kat chose Denison University because it felt like the right fit and allowed her to stay closer to home (Michigan). She immersed herself in campus life, studying Communication with a focus on Public Health, while participating in athletics, student organizations, and wellness initiatives.
Her college experience took an unexpected turn when she suffered a head injury while playing lacrosse during her sophomore year. While recovering from that injury, she began to explore yoga, breathwork, and alternative approaches to healing. Those interests ultimately led her to a transformative opportunity abroad during her senior year.
An Unexpected Opportunity
During her senior year, Kat joined a grant-funded experiential learning program in 2013 that took a small group from Denison on an international trip to Chennai, India to explore culture, wellness, and learning beyond the classroom. The opportunity was especially meaningful after Kat missed the chance to study abroad during her junior year due to her injury. Already interested in health, wellness, and experiencing a culture different from her own, she saw this program as an opportunity for both adventure and learning.
The group spent ten days immersing themselves in Indian culture while studying with Ravi and Sheela Shankar at Yoga Nidhi, where they were introduced to yoga, Ayurveda, and traditional approaches to health and well-being.
More Than a Trip
Kat expected to learn plenty during her time in India, but she gained far more than she ever imagined. Their group participated in local traditions and witnessed firsthand how community, spirituality, holistic health and wellness were woven into everyday life. Among her favorite memories were taking part in a mock Indian wedding ceremony, experiencing harvest festival traditions, and observing the daily practice of creating kolam designs with rice flour outside homes and businesses.
Her time in India challenged her to think differently about what it means to live well and introduced her to Ayurveda and traditional yogic philosophy, which emphasize creating balance through daily habits, movement, food, sleep, relationships, and connection to nature. What stood out most to Kat was how interconnected daily life felt. She was struck by the way family, community, spirituality, and health were not viewed as separate parts of life but as practices that naturally supported one another.
Lessons That Lasted
Coming away from this trip, Kat became more intentional about her everyday choices, prompting her to think more deeply about what she put into her body and why those decisions mattered. One of Kat’s biggest takeaways from the trip was learning to ask herself a simple question that continues to guide her today: Is this natural?
What began as part of her own recovery journey eventually evolved into a career centered on helping others improve their own well-being. Today, she leads wellness retreats, teaches movement practices, and helps people create healthier, more intentional lives. She even led a session during a Mindfulness retreat for Denison faculty and staff this summer. Kat also sees her work in real estate as connected to those same values, helping people find homes and communities where they can thrive. More than a decade later, Kat says she still draws on the lessons she learned during those ten days in India.
Advice for Current Students
Looking back, Kat encourages students considering Off-Campus Study to follow their curiosity. While she says that studying abroad may not be for everyone, she still encourages students who feel drawn to the experience to embrace the uncertainty and see it as an opportunity for growth.
If this story piqued your interest and you’re curious about current opportunities to study abroad in India, check out our approved program SIT Study Abroad India: Public Health, Gender, and Sexuality. If you would like to hear more stories about global experiences at Denison, check out the rest of our blog.