For Katie (McDonald) Harrell ’11, beauty is found in the details. As a writer, designer, business owner and mother of three, Katie has long believed that the small things matter — tiny acts of faithfulness, the quiet unseen moments and the intentional choices that breathe life into a much larger vision.
This winter, she found herself living that belief in a way she never expected: spending a week in Washington, D.C., helping decorate the White House for Christmas.
Out of more than 12,000 applicants, only 145 volunteers from 47 states and U.S. territories were chosen. Katie was one of them, an acceptance rate lower than many Ivy league schools.
And for her, it wasn’t just an honor. It was a calling — one woven through her Olivet years, her early career, the founding of her business, the rhythms of motherhood and her relationship with Christ.
A Calling Found at Olivet, A Career Marked by Obedience
Growing up as a pastor’s kid in La Porte, Indiana, Katie’s faith had always been part of her life. But at Olivet, she says, her relationship with Christ became truly personal.
“Olivet shaped my character more than anything else. It taught me what community looks like, what humility looks like and what it means to lead as a Christian.”
As a marketing major with design and communication emphasis areas, she spent long nights in Reed Hall working on projects that blended creativity and strategy. A professor encouraged her to start journaling — something that awakened her love for writing, a gift she uses daily in her business.
“I didn’t know writing would become one of my strengths,” she said. “At Olivet, I learned how to tell stories — stories that connect people, inspire them, move them.”
After graduating, Katie accepted a position with Shepherd Community Center in Indianapolis, a job she wrestled with at first.
“I thought I had misread God’s direction,” she recalls. “Doors were closing, and I kept thinking, Lord, if You wanted me to do this, why isn’t it easy? But sometimes obedience leads through uncertainty.”
Working with inner-city children taught her compassion and resilience. Later, she transitioned into nonprofit marketing and storytelling, helping organizations articulate their mission with clarity and heart.
In 2022, after a season of professional transition and infertility challenges, she sensed God nudging her toward entrepreneurship — a calling she initially resisted.
“I told the Lord, ‘I don’t want a business; I want to be a full-time mom.’ But the prompting wouldn’t go away.”
The day after she said yes to starting her business, Jericho Consulting, she learned she was pregnant with her son, Judah.
“If I had known I was pregnant first, I would have said no. God wanted my yes — and then He affirmed it. Jericho Consulting is His business, not mine.” 
Her love for creative details, storytelling and thoughtful design all converged in her work. And then, into the White House.
Creating Christmas Magic: A Week Inside the People’s House
Katie arrived in Washington the Monday before Thanksgiving. Volunteers had Thursday off, but the rest of the week was full — long days beginning around 6:00 a.m. The first two days were spent off-site preparing décor, organizing materials and sending dozens of boxes through Secret Service screening. The remainder of the week was spent inside the White House; meticulously, joyfully decorating — entirely by hand.
“We didn’t use a single pre-lit tree,” she said. “Every strand of lights was hand-strung using the Martha Stewart method. It took forever, but it made everything glow.”
Katie’s team decorated two of the most visited and photographed rooms in the White House tour.
This year’s theme, Home is Where the Heart Is, centered on home, belonging and togetherness — values meant to anchor families and unify communities.
“Everything we did was hand-picked and designed by the First Lady,” Katie explained. “No professional designers were involved except her personal stylist and Director of Special Projects. It was truly the people decorating the people’s house — volunteers bringing her vision of home, family, faith and togetherness to life.”
The East Room: “America, Our Home”
Katie’s primary room celebrated America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The space featured:
- Four 15-foot live trees
- A palette of red, white and blue
- Custom gold eagle ornaments representing all 56 states, territories and the federal district of Washington, D.C.
- Hand-crafted elements at every level
“Working under those trees felt like being part of something bigger than myself,” Katie said. “It honored our nation’s story — and the people who shaped it.”
The Green Room: “Family Game Night”
Playful and nostalgic, the Green Room captured childhood warmth and connection.
The room included:
- 3D-printed Sorry pieces
- Giant chess pieces
- Dominos used to build tiny houses and Christmas trees
- A hand-crafted playing-card castle
- Several whimsical game-inspired installations made with the First Lady’s stylist
“It was joyful,” Katie said. “Everyone who walked in immediately smiled.”
A Presidential Surprise
One of Katie’s favorite tasks was helping assemble two Brick Me portraits — mosaic-style wall pieces created from thousands of tiny Lego-style bricks.
Her team built:
- A 12-panel portrait of President George Washington
- A 12-panel portrait of President Donald Trump
- Matching 6-panel smaller portraits of each
It was a surprise gift from the First Lady to the President.
“We even created a bow out of bricks to hang on a wreath above the portraits,” Katie said. “It was painstaking but beautiful.”
Beauty in the Details: Other White House Décor
Though she worked primarily in two rooms, Katie witnessed much of the décor throughout the White House. Some highlights included:
- 51 real Christmas trees
- 75 wreaths
- 300,000+ lights
- 25,000 feet of ribbon
- 700+ feet of garland
- 10,000+ butterflies (Red Room)
- The largest-ever gingerbread White House, complete with an edible, hand-painted Yellow Oval Room scene
- LED candles suspended in the Grand Foyer
- The official Blue Room tree from Michigan — the first in 40 years — ornamented with custom 3D-printed state icons
“It was breathtaking,” Katie said. “Every detail told a story. Every room reflected home.”
A Sacred Kind of Gift
For Katie, the experience was more than a prestigious opportunity — it was a spiritual gift.
“As a full-time mom, I’m never off the clock. This week allowed me to breathe, to create, to reflect, to pray. It felt like God whispering, I see you. I know your heart. And I’m giving you this gift.”
Her daughters proudly told friends and teachers that “Mommy is decorating the White House,” and her husband supported her every step.
“It reminded me that God’s timing is perfect,” she said. “And His assignments, even the unexpected ones, are always good.”
Katie’s Reflection and Wisdom to Share
“When I graduated, I thought I needed a big career or impressive title to prove my worth. It simply isn’t true.”
Katie encourages new graduates to release the pressure to achieve something flashy right away. In her fourteen years since Olivet, the seasons that have brought her the most freedom and fulfillment have been the ones where she was “just a mom.” Her business is a blessing to her family, but it is intentionally built around her children’s lives — school drop-offs, library visits, soccer practices, small group nights and everyday moments that matter. She wants graduates to know that calling is not always loud or glamorous; sometimes it looks like quiet faithfulness at home.
Katie also reminds students that success is not measured by income or ambition but by obedience. For the last three years, she has turned down clients and financial opportunities to protect her role as a present mom — and she’s never regretted it. She views motherhood not as a limitation but as her greatest stewardship, one that has made her more creative, flexible, efficient and compassionate in her work.
“Your degree is never wasted,” she says. “God uses every bit of who you are, especially when you choose what truly matters.”
With time, Katie has learned that the most precious gift we have is not money but moments.
“You can always make more money,” she says, “but you never get more time.”
Katie encourages graduates to invest their lives in relationships, faithfulness and the people God has entrusted to them. Even her trip to decorate the White House — an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience — was something she viewed as an investment in her family’s story, not just her own.
Her advice is simple: “Let obedience guide you more than ambition. Build a life around what matters eternally, not just what looks successful today.”
For a behind the scenes look at the White House Christmas decorations, tune in to HGTV’s “White House Christmas 2025”. The special airs Sunday, December 14, 2025, at 6/5c on HGTV and stream it the next day on HBO Max and discovery+.
