Kayla Young '15: From Private to Public, A Marian Girl's Journey

Kayla Young ‘15,a third-generation crusader, shares the educational impact, empowerment and mentorship she received at Marian in her role today at Texas A&M University. From Marian High School, to Creighton University, to graduate school at the University of South Carolina, Kayla described her experience as "seeing all sides of education.”

With that, try-everything energy, Young began her Marian journey with the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic in her junior year. This was her first time out of the country. This two-week service immersion trip was eye-opening, showing a different way of living, and opening her eyes to travel and experiences. With that exposure, Young continued her interest in the Dominican Republic and double-majored in journalism and Spanish and Hispanic studies during her time at Creighton.

When the opportunity to study abroad for a semester arose, Kayla quickly signed up. This time, with her journalism knowledge and much-improved Spanish, she excelled there by educating local elementary schools, building relationships, and, of course, doing her classwork. Her love and experience with the Dominican Republic only grew over the years. Upon graduation, Kayla signed up as a summer program coordinator at the Institute for Latin America. This time, she went as a leader with a group of 20 nursing, dental, medical and pharmacy students, and they significantly improved health coverage during their five weeks.

Kayla credits Marian with giving her "so much." Chosen by the faculty as the 2015 Marian Girl of the Year, Marian's highest student recognition, Kayla clearly gave much to Marian as well. Young recalled attending ceremonies as an underclassman and viewing each year's as role models. 

Family is one of the biggest supporters in her educational journey. Kayla shared that every morning, her father would drop her off and scream out the window, “Be strong, be smart, and be caring today!" These phrases, from embarrassing at first, slowly evolved into the daily motivational speech that helped her succeed along the way.

As a college activities counselor at Texas A&M, Kayla supervises and runs all campus interest groups, clubs and intramural sports. She described her day-to-day as unpredictable but exciting; giving guidance and empowering student organizations through their yearly functions keeps her going every day. She later stated that she's only able to serve students thanks to Marian’s student empowerment and such a “good foundation for (her) education. This foundation came with mentorship. Kayla shared her close relationships with Mrs. Kalkowski, journalism and English teacher, and with Mr. Baker, sociology teacher.

“Everything I received from Marian, I get to give back to the students at A&M. I help them to navigate challenges, discover their strengths, and find their voice, just as Marian did for me. That spirit of service is the greatest gift I can pass forward!" said Young.