Alumni Spotlight: Katie Amundson

“The best part of my job is working with students and our awesome coaching staff!” said Katie Amundson, director of athletics & recreation at Brookdale Community College, and Brookdale alumna.

Amundson came to Brookdale with a NJ STARS scholarship, a state-funded program that provides free community college tuition to high school students who rank in the top 15% of their class. In addition to the scholarship, Amundson had family members who also attended Brookdale. “A lot of my family and extended family have gotten their start at Brookdale. Everyone had a positive experience, and I wanted the same opportunity,” she explained.

While at Brookdale, Amundson was very involved on campus. She was an active member of Brookdale’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year college students, and played women’s soccer and basketball. “The entire athletics department stood out! Frank Lawrence, Bo Scannapieco, Sarah Brazil, Cindy McCarthy and all of the coaches were so welcoming and made me feel at home,” she said of her experience as a student athlete. “If I needed to talk, someone’s door was always open in athletics, and it was a lot of fun!”

In addition to the supportive environment Amundson found in athletics, she said her Academic Advisors were also excellent. “Dr. Yesenia Madas and Torina Armstrong were both my Advisors. I remember communicating with both of them about my schedule and always left their offices feeling great about the next semester and the plan we mapped out,” she said.

After graduating Brookdale in 2007 with her associate degree in liberal arts, Amundson transferred to Ramapo College of New Jersey where she was a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and women’s soccer team. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history education. She later received her master’s degree in liberal studies from Rutgers University.

Amundson came back to Brookdale in the fall of 2009 as the assistant coach for women’s soccer. In July 2010, she began working as the coordinator of camps and clinics in the athletics department at Brookdale.  Amundson continued as the assistant women’s soccer coach until she was named the head coach in fall 2011, a position she had until fall 2020. She became the assistant director of athletics in 2013, and in October 2018, Amundson was named director of athletics at Brookdale.

“Athletics keeps me busy, always on my toes,” Amundson said of her current role. “At a moment’s notice, I have to be ready to pivot. A net could snap or a shot clock could malfunction – I have to be ready and prepared to make the necessary adjustments/fix the problem in order to keep things moving,” she said.

“I truly enjoy my job,” said Amundson about being director of athletics. “I enjoy working with all students at Brookdale. I enjoy seeing the students excel in the classroom and on their prospective playing service.”

Are you a Jersey Blues alumni? If so, we would love to hear from you! Please email us at alumni@brookdalecc.edu.