Thank you, Kaitlan, for sharing! We love your passion for your position and our world!
Which topics on your State Affairs Forum list interest you most and why?
I tried to highlight topics that I was passionate about and that I inferred other delegates would be passionate about as well. I find myself particularly invested in the Environmental topics as I added that subject this year. I know the Environment has been an in-and-out topic in previous years, so I was really excited to bring it back! I am really interested in EPA budget cuts that could affect a range of environmentally friendly companies and keep them from continuing to help our Earth. Furthermore, I really love the topic on human trafficking. The issue affects so many lives here in Houston, I felt the topic was very relevant. Overall I wish there were time to write about all of them because they’re all so interesting to me! 🙂
Share one of your favorite memories from your past experience in Texas YG.
By far one of my proudest and most memorable moments from my time here at YG was my very first Con Intent speech I wrote for the final round of proposals my first year. The topic was police brutality, and I just remember feeling like that was my last chance to make my voice heard. My proposal didn’t pass after second chamber, so I stayed up later than I should have, drinking Starbucks from the cafe in the hotel, and I went to the proposal author’s source and disproved their entire proposal for action. While it may have seemed harsh at the time, I remember feeling a sense of self worth in that moment as I put maximum effort into my research. Even though my legs were shaking during my speech, I was able to have my voice heard! It was humility at its best, and I felt the true meaning of friendly competition and justice in that moment.
What are your future career and educational plans?
Upon graduation I plan to drive to Minnesota where I will spend my summer as a first-time counselor at my childhood summer camp that I have been attending for nine years. Following summer, I will hopefully stay in Minnesota and double major in Environmental Science and Foreign Affairs. I plan to work with underdeveloped countries to renew their resources and make our Earth a little cleaner. A superhero? Maybe not… but I do want to save the world.
What fall festivities and traditions do you look forward to most?
I am really looking forward to carving a pumpkin! I remember as a kid my dad and I would bake the seeds, and I would eat them for weeks! Not to mention I will have something spooky to put by my door! Fall is by far my favorite season! I can’t wait to watch the leaves turn!