Auburn’s Virginia Kouba Recognized As Optimists’ ‘Youth of the Month’

“The biggest reason that spurred me to start Cat Action Together (CAT) was a house down the street from me where four or five cats were being fed. By the following year, I counted close to 3o cats.” That was Virginia Kouba’s answer when asked what influenced her to found the organization. “I wanted to help those (Feral) cats...get spayed so this type of explosion wouldn’t continue.”

Kouba, a homeschooled Senior from Auburn was named Optimist Youth of the Month for December. Her role in founding CATS has led to the neutering 105 cats to date. She approached Dr. Kristin Bohling of Town and Country Veterinary Clinic in February of 2019 about establishing a trap, neuter and return program (TNR). CAT is now a State approved non profit organization with a Board of Directors and several volunteers.

Kouba is a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church where she has helped with funeral dinners and she has also worked at the St. Francis Gift and Thrift.

Her art work has won Best of Show three times at the Nemaha County Fair and Best of Category (watercolor) at the Student Art Contest at the Falls City Stalder Art Gallery. She placed in the top three in her age group at the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association Art Competition three years in a row. Kouba has had art displays at AV Larson Art Gallery at Peru State College. She was the artist on the Honeybees in the Heartland “Comb Sweet Comb” located at First National Bank of Johnson along Highway 75 in Auburn.

She is the daughter of Randy and Ann Kouba of Auburn. After graduation she plans to attend Peru State College and major in Kinesiology.