In Memoriam | Katie Wittekind (C’18)

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In a Quaker-style memorial earlier this summer, members of Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) alumni community gathered to honor and pay tribute to Katie Wittekind (C’18), who died in a biking accident this past Mother’s Day. Katie possessed great perspective, and she loved to dance. Among other things, she’s remembered for her warmth, wisdom, courage, light, lived values, infectious smile, and zest for life.

Jim, Katie’s husband of 12 years, shared with us that Katie was thankful to be a part of the MAPP community. “Being a MAPPster and the journey she took to get there revolutionized our lives, and hers,” he wrote. “The boys and I will forever be grateful for that.”

In this excerpt from Katie’s final paper in MAPP 602, Foundations of Positive Interventions, Katie reflected on what she valued most in life.

“As a little girl, I loved dandy lions. I would spend hours in a field of green grass and pick them to make a wish. The wish was always the same, ‘Happiness, I wish for happiness.’ Despite the unfortunate circumstances I was born with, (or possibly because of them) I did end up happy. Sure, there are bad days, but over all I can say with confidence, I am a happy person living a happy life. Once I got married and had kids, I still made wishes on dandy lions only this time I wished for happiness of my family members. Then one day I found myself making a different wish, ‘I wish for the tools to help others find happiness.’ It is not that I find happiness to be the most important part of life, but rather, through happiness we are able to see the world through a lens of connection and possibility; opening the path toward purpose.”

We would like to dedicate this September issue of MAPP Magazine on happiness and connection to the memory of our community’s fallen classmate and friend, Katie Wittekind, and to the beloved husband and sons she left behind, Jim, Weston, and Aiden.

In this issue, you’ll read articles on the role of social prescribing in fostering connection and well-being, how friendships thrive in the context of adversity, plus an interview exploring more on the how of happiness with upcoming MAPP Summit speaker, Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky.

To Katie.

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Abimbola Tschetter (C'22)

Abimbola (Abi) Tschetter is a business writer, editor, and marketing consultant navigating the good life with her husband and two college-bound kids. Based north of Seattle on Whidbey Island, she works with companies and nonprofits of all sizes—from small-town startups to global enterprises—to create content, refine messaging, and engage with both prospects and customers through storytelling. She’s an assistant instructor for the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program and co-editor of MAPP Magazine, the program’s alumni publication. A former admission counselor, volunteer college-essay sounding board + editor, and recent MAPP grad, Abi’s developing OurStory, a program that leverages the college admission essay and essay-writing process to reframe beliefs and shape positive personal narratives in adolescents.