Kathleen was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on March 30, 1983, and grew up in Olla, Louisiana. She graduated with honors from LaSalle High School. She also graduated with honors from Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Pre-Law. From there she enlisted in the United States Army as a paralegal and served her 4 year active duty tour at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the XVIII Airborne Corps at the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate. Kathleen received numerous military awards and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant after only two years of service while she worked as a paralegal in the Criminal Law Section. From there, she became the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Capital Litigation Section of the XVIII Airborne Corps Office of the Staff Judge Advocate. Upon the end of her active duty tour, Kathleen elected to serve an additional 2 years in the United States Army Reserves at the 2nd Legal Support Organization located in New Orleans, Louisiana. During her reserve tour, she enrolled in law school at Louisiana State University, where she later received her Juris Doctor Diploma and Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law.