The two, married since March 2006, met officially through mutual acquaintances. The Owohs now live and work in Little Rock. Katrina is a senior financial analyst at Alltel Corp., the nation’s fifth-largest wireless operator, and Jeremy works for the Little Rock School District teaching ninth- and tenth-grade English and senior-level creative writing. He also coordinates the school’s student assistance program, which pairs teachers with small groups of students who participate in what Jeremy called “concern groups.” The students meet to interact with peers and cope with issues that include drugs, teen pregnancy, sexual orientation, gang resistance and divorce.

Acquiring Experience

Katrina, a Little Rock native, graduated from Mills University Studies High School in 1997 and went on to spend a year at Harding University at Searcy. She considered a college in a neighboring state but ultimately felt that in-state tuition was a financial consideration that was a good fit for her.

After a year she transferred to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in accounting in 2002.

As a sophomore in college, Katrina said, she got a job as a project program specialist in the patient accounts department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Katrina knew the department’s director, and when she returned to Little Rock from Searcy, she inquired about job opportunities. She worked for UAMS for six years, the last one as a cost allocation coordinator in the university’s financial management office.

“I got a chance to experience something that some college students don’t even have an opportunity to until they’ve graduated — to work in my field and actually have a résumé that supports my field before I would even see my degree,” Katrina said.

Katrina joined Alltel in July 2004 as a financial analyst II in property accounting; after two years she became a senior financial analyst.

“I prepare forecast documentation,” Katrina said, “basically reviewing our expenses for the operations side of customer service, and forecasting what our expenses will be on a quarterly basis for my supporting group.”

“I like the diversity of my job. Every day it’s something new,” Katrina said. “I’m in the financial division of customer service, so whereas we may have different departments that are supporting the customer in one aspect, … it’s my job to ensure that the costs match all of the expenses.”

Katrina likes the idea of continuing to educate employees through the company’s Alltel University.

“You can always enhance your knowledge of whatever field you’re in within the company. And if you would like to learn new things that are not even related to your field, those opportunities are available for you,” she said.

Katrina herself received a master’s in business administration from Harding University in December 2005, and she is currently studying for the CPA exam.

“The best job advice that I’ve ever received was ‘Always continue learning. Never settle for what you have strived for the most. Always have something above that, and if you do that then you’ll always have an ear to learn, an ear to hear. You’ll always have an opportunity that other people may not have because you’ve set yourself up to always be a lifelong learner,’ ” Katrina said.

“Truly Blessed”

Katrina’s husband, Jeremy, is also passionate about education. The Camden native graduated from UCA in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis in English, then went on to receive a master’s in secondary education from UALR in 2005. He is currently pursuing a specialist degree in education administration at UALR, with the future goal of a doctorate.

Jeremy started college at UCA with the idea to pursue marketing, but then chose education. He wanted a job he could be passionate about.

“I was truly blessed to obtain the position that I have,” Jeremy said. He was a student teacher at Parkview during college, and on graduation the principal offered him a permanent position.

Jeremy’s school involvement extends beyond teaching and coordinating the student assistance program. He sponsors Patchwork Pegasus, the high school’s literary magazine, assists with the student council and serves on the campus leadership team, among other activities.

Jeremy enjoys seeing the immediate results that come with his job as a teacher at Parkview: students learning.

“I like the ‘Ahh, I get it’ moments that my students get. … I also enjoy working with the students. I see the benefits of my labor looking back at me every day,” he said.

Jeremy said he would tell college students to study the field that makes them happy. The best job advice he ever received, he said, was to choose a profession he would always wake up in the morning smiling about.

The Owohs continue to see their future in Arkansas. Jeremy said the state had a great market to advance his education and profession; plus, he said, there are advancement opportunities within the LRSD.

At one point, Katrina said, she did look for a job out of state and felt like that market was very competitive. “Not to say that I wouldn’t have an opportunity [in a larger city], but I could just see so much value being here, and then we have so many companies here. A lot of the parent companies are here within the state, and so I felt like I couldn’t lose either way.”

When not at work, the Owohs enjoy Arkansas’ attractions, citing Little Rock’s River Market, Arkansas football and the state’s natural environment as favorites. In addition, Jeremy said, the two love the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. The Owohs are involved at St. Luke Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Katrina with the church’s dance ministry and Jeremy with the drama ministry, and they continue to participate in philanthropic activities through their Greek organizations. Jeremy is also on the executive board of 100 Black Men of Greater Little Rock and a volunteer with the Just Communities for Central Arkansas.

Katrina said she loved the small-town feeling that’s still alive in the state’s metropolitan center. Jeremy agrees.

Little Rock “is not too big, but it is not too small, either,” he said. “If I want to take my wife somewhere nice and quiet, there are always places that I can. If I want a safe place to take my nieces and nephews to play, I have several parks to visit.”