Kathryn Marsh-Bell was born in Hollywood California but grew up in the Roanoke Valley. She attended Addison Middle School and Patrick Henry high School and is a graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena California. She attended Pasadena City College and social work and business administration.
Kathryn also worked with her father James Marsh in his psychiatric social work practice. Mr. Marsh’s practice specialized in working with gang members and also family unification. During this time Kathryn helped organize activities for gang members and their families as well as sitting in on sessions of family intervention. This is when Kathryn realized that she had an ability to really connect with people, especially young girls and teens. After suffering two traumatic experiences in the early 2000 Kathryn was inspired to reach out to women who need someone to be an advocate for them in areas of family self-sufficiency, medical care, home care and legal issues.
Also, after spending time with her grandmother Robbie Board who had an active role in Kathryn’s life teaching her that it is our responsibility to give back to our community and our neighbors through church activities, civil rights groups, and programs throughout the Roanoke Valley. It has been Kathryn’s dream to do these same things in honor of her Grandmother through the Robbie Board Foundation which once established will help educate, motivate and encourage women of all ages.
After spending time with women and young girls through her job and her life experience she realized that there is a need in the community to support each other and help guide girls and teens. Because it is her opinion that little girls grow up to be women who have low esteem a lack of respect and a lack loving themselves this resulting in a rise of teen suicide, teen violence, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Kathryn really feels that this is her calling to reach out to girls and women of the community.
