Students on the graduation track at WTMA recently welcomed Spartanburg, South Carolina community leader Kathryn Harvey to discuss her journey from an intended major in art, through leading the international marketing team for the Sesame Workshop, to her current roles as principal of Neue South Collective and candidate for public office. Ms. Harvey challenged her listeners to contemplate whether their actions are in accordance with their true selves.

A Family With a History of Service

Ms. Harvey began her talk with a brief description of her upbringing and family background. Born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she attended the local public schools, where her parents were teachers. Ms. Harvey takes inspiration from the example of her parents, who were members of the first cohort of special education teachers in South Carolina, at a time when children with learning disabilities and differences were poorly served – or completely abandoned – by the education system. 

With education so strongly valued in her family, when Ms. Harvey decided to attend New York University, her entire extended family collaborated to cover her tuition. This generous act set the stage for Ms. Harvey’s next chapter in life, and left her with a powerful desire to “pay it forward” for people with fewer opportunities.

The Importance of Authenticity

Authenticity is the tissue that connects all of Ms. Harvey’s varied life experiences, from NYU to marketing for major companies, to her eventual return to Spartanburg and her campaigns for public office. Ms. Harvey defines authenticity as “acting in accordance with your values, beliefs, and motives.” While she noted that all of us will continue to experience evolution in our values, beliefs, and motives throughout our lives, she encouraged the students to consider how they can engage with authenticity in their daily lives and creative work even now, when their values and beliefs may not be fully formed yet: “Your actions and your words, they really mean a lot.”

Sesame Street Leads to Africa

After her time at NYU, where she and WTMA’s Dean Julia Collier became lifelong friends, Ms. Harvey worked in marketing for several major companies before landing a position at the Sesame Workshop, the global foundation behind Sesame Street. During her time at the Workshop, she had the opportunity to teach children in sub-Saharan Africa about water safety. Many children in Africa die from contagious diseases related to contamination in the water supply, so this was particularly meaningful work for her.

In fact, it led to a complete career change.

“Sparking Joy and Helping Others”

“Children everywhere deserve the opportunity to thrive… and that led me back home.” Ms. Harvey’s experiences with Sesame Workshop, particularly in Africa, eventually prompted her to rethink her career. Leaving New York and Sesame Street behind, she returned to Spartanburg, her hometown, where she founded Neue South Collective, a communications firm with a particular focus on uplifting women and children in the local community. At Neue South, Ms. Harvey and her all-female team assist nonprofits and local businesses with marketing, branding, web development, and event planning.

Ms. Harvey describes the Nineteenth Amendment, which recognized women’s voting rights in the United States, as the tentpole for her current work. Neue South Collective partners with the local Democratic Party in efforts to make Spartanburg a more competitive district, “to make sure people have a choice on the ballot.” Passion for public service eventually led Ms. Harvey to accept an invitation to run for a Congressional seat herself in 2024. While she did not win that race, at the time of her speech to WTMA students she was knee-deep in campaigning for Spartanburg County Council. 

It’s All About the Journey

At the end of Ms. Harvey’s talk, she engaged in a lively question and answer session with the students. Question topics ranged from details about her political campaigns, to questions about work-life balance and even what kind of cat she has. (Answer: she is not a cat person, but she has a big rescue dog.) When asked what prompted her switch from art to advertising, Ms. Harvey explained that she was waitlisted for her first-choice art program, but accepted to NYU’s graphic design program. Once she began her undergrad work at NYU, she discovered that graphic design was not her strong suit, but the program required marketing courses, and “the minute I took my first advertising 101 class… I knew that was what I wanted to do.” Marketing was an unexpected outlet for her creativity.

Kathryn Harvey’s “winding road” to her current career reminds students that, as she stated in her talk, “you’re not supposed to have it all figured out right now.” In her senior year of high school, Ms. Harvey probably imagined that five or ten years in the future, she would have a career as a professional artist. Sesame Street and running for public office would not have been on her bingo card. And yet, by remaining true to her “values, beliefs, and motives,” she has forged a unique career that eventually brought her back to her beloved hometown to pay it forward. We hope all of our WTMA students can follow her example in emphasizing community, generosity, and authenticity in their own lives!

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