Holocaust Survivor Kati Preston Inspires Wayland High School

When Kati Preston spoke to a packed auditorium at Wayland High School this April, not a single phone came out during her presentation. The 87-year-old Holocaust survivor captivated students with her firsthand account of surviving one of history's darkest chapters.

Two student leaders made the event happen. Max Burgess and Ryan Chase, co-presidents of the Jewish Student Union, first heard Preston speak at their middle school and knew their entire high school needed to hear her story.

What made Preston's presentation different was her focus on action over victimhood. She emphasized how ordinary people resisted totalitarian forces and how others chose to help instead of standing by.

Born in Hungary in 1939, Preston experienced persecution that started slowly. Jewish families first lost access to college education and medical care, then faced work restrictions, and eventually were forced to wear yellow stars.

Preston remembers attending a Jewish kindergarten with 52 other children. Only two survived the Holocaust.

Her parents' love story was unusual for the time. Her Jewish father and Catholic mother faced family rejection for their mixed-religion marriage, but they focused on their happiness rather than the hatred around them.

Why This Inspires

History teacher David Schmirer noticed something remarkable during the presentation. "The piece that was most important was in the storytelling of how when we think back to the Nazi regime, there was kind of an underlying assumption that everybody just followed along out of fear," he said. Preston's story showed students that resistance was possible.

Student Ryan Chase felt the impact of hearing directly from someone who lived through history. "It's like hearing it straight from the source," he said. "It leaves a different kind of impact and is able to resonate more."

Preston didn't stop at survival. She built a successful life in journalism, fashion, and education, and now dedicates herself to Holocaust education by speaking at museums, schools, prisons, and faith groups.

She also advocates for political change, supporting genocide education bills. Her 2025 film "Hidden: The Kati Preston Story" and two books ensure her experiences remain accessible as fewer Holocaust survivors are alive to share their stories.

Burgess found Preston's storytelling particularly powerful because she showed students how to understand and relate to difficult history. With Holocaust survivors aging, Preston's mission grows more urgent: to ensure the next generation learns that "never again" requires active participation, not passive witnessing.