Katie DeYoung was born on February 28, 1991, in Newport Beach, CA. Growing up, she had a passion for art and enrolled in drawing and painting classes, however she focused more on her cross-country aspirations in high school. She was recruited to run cross-country for the University of Southern California in the spring of 2010. That fall, she started her first semester of college studying psychology and being a full-time student-athlete. Katie graduated from USC with a psychology degree in 2014 and moved to San Francisco working as a behavioral therapist. She liked her job, but for some reason was not fulfilled.

In the spring of 2016, Katie researched local jewelry-making programs and attended Revere Academy shortly in May. At Revere, she learned the basic technical and business skills that are important to know as a successful jeweler. Ideally, she wanted to further her education in the metal arts field. She believed that Academy of Art University was the best fit for bringing her artistic visions into a reality. Officially she began her first semester at Academy of Art University in the fall of 2016. Her collections, based on resilience and forgiveness, continued to be featured in the annual Spring Show since 2017. In December 2019, she earned her MFA degree in Jewelry & Metal Arts. Today she is an instructor at Artreach, supporting adult artists with disabilities in Daly City. She continues to create one-of-a-kind upcycled jewelry and mixed-media artwork.