What Katena Wants

By Michaela Vatcheva

Michaela Vatcheva

Team Lee

STORY SUMMARY

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Katena Wesley’s armor of choice stands out in her hometown of Excelsior Springs. Looking put together at all times is time-consuming, but it makes her feel in control of her life, and ready for chance to find her. Under the surface, the 41-year-old pastor’s daughter, who is still living with her parents, is praying feverishly for a sense of purpose.

The number of people living in multigenerational family households in the US has quadrupled in the past 50 years. Between the recession in 2008 and the current economic crisis, Wesley couldn't afford a dignified life on her own with her job as a substitute teacher. She dreams of an office administrator position at a law firm. With a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, she didn’t anticipate staying home much longer if she devoted herself fully to the job search. She is now unemployed, but busy: her days fly by between countless job applications, penny pinching, helping elders and children, and the small joys of being a beloved member of her community.

Katena Wesley, prays before dinner on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, in her home in Excelsior Springs, Mo. Wesley, who is 41 and lives with her parents, paused a 18-year-long career as a substitute teacher at the beginning of the pandemic to search for a job as an administrative assistant in a law firm. She dreams of moving out of town.

Wesley puts on her jewelry in her bathroom before heading to the library on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 in Excelsior Springs, Mo. Her elaborate preparation routine includes trying on business-casual outfits, makeup and two pairs of shoes: a comfortable one for driving and a pair of sky-high stilettos she puts on anytime she leaves her car.

Wesley leaves her parents’ home on Melanie Lane in Excelsior Springs, Mo. on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. She goes to the library in Liberty, Mo., every weekday, where she spends multiple hours applying for jobs.

Wesley visits Ruby McCant in her home in Liberty, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. McCant is an elder member of Main Street Baptist Church in Excelsior Springs, Mo., where Wesley’s father is pastor. “I have known Ms. Ruby since I was a kid,” Wesley said. “I’ve been sleeping in her bed since I was in eighth grade.”

Wesley holds hands with Anne Harness on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at her home in Excelsior Springs, Mo., as they pray. Wesley often pays visits to older female members of the congregation to keep them company, seek advice and pray together.

Wesley cleans the house of Anne Harness on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in Excelsior Springs, Mo., to make some money.

Wesley folds the laundry in her parents’ home in Melanie Lane in Excelsior Springs, Mo., on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. As part of her agreement with her parents, she stays home rent-free, but she does all the cleaning and laundry in the house. “I don’t mind doing laundry,” Wesley said, who sometimes takes three showers a day. “I can’t stand dirty clothes.”

Disappointed after a job interview for an administrative assistant position at a local law firm on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, Wesley listens to gospel music and sings along with bishop Paul S. Morton: “Lord, whatever you’re doing in this season, don’t do it without me.” Wesley said many entry-level positions she has encountered ask for experience and higher qualifications than pay merits. “It shouldn’t be this hard to be somebody in this life,” Wesley said.

Wesley irons two pairs of jeans before trying them on to get dressed at her home in Excelsior Springs, Mo., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022.

Dr. Katina Gill, left, and Katena Wesley, right, walk down Park Ave. in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. The two women met in their twenties at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Beyond their rare but similar names, the two discovered both their families had moved from New Jersey to work at the Ford Assembly Plant in Kansas City. Both got their bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice, but Gill continued to defend a doctorate in Education while Wesley began a 18-year-long career as a substitute teacher in Liberty, Mo. “At least my name is spelled correctly,” Dr. Gill jokes.

Dr. Gill and Wesley canvas Park Ave. in Kansas City, Mo., for Turn the Page KC, a nonprofit aiming to remove barriers for children to gain literacy skills on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. Dr. Gill is Director of Collective Impact Initiatives at the nonprofit and prefers a boots-on-the-ground approach to mobilizing the community to help children. Wesley often volunteers to help spread the word and catch up with her old friend.

Wesley, at left, and her friends Arys Hyche and Yajieraka Chambers, at right, watch the Minnesota Twins play Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 in Kansas City, Mo. Turn the Page KC provided free field box tickets for Dr. Gill and her friends.

Wesley shares a moment with her friends at the Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals game in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022.

Wesley prepares for a job interview and another sleep-deprived night of sending out job applications from her parents’ home in Excelsior Springs, Mo. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022.

Brian Kratzer, Co-Director

Alyssa Schukar, Co-Director

Hany Hawasly, Technical Director

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