Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Katie started acting in high school productions, but she didn't she had a shot at stardom since she lived in the Midwest. She got her when she was attending a national modeling talent convention in New York City. She met a talent manager who encouraged her to come to Los Angeles for television's pilot season.

On her first professional audition, Katie dazzled the casting director for the feature film, "The Ice Storm". The film won the Screenplay Award at Cannes Film Festival and features Katie prominently.

When the next pilot season came up during her senior year of high school, Katie opted to skip coming out to Los Angeles to perform in her high school's production of "Damn Yankess" as Lola. For the Dawson's Creek audition, she sent in a tape from Toledo. When the call-back conflicted with her play's opening night, she declined rather than let down her classmates. Fortunatley, the producers were able to reschedule her audition ans she landed the series of Joey Potter.

Having just graduated from high school, Katie relocated to Wilmington, North Carolina, where the series is being shot.