Kaity Bobadilla is a hard-working girl who has awesome future goals for herself. She is a senior at UIC, majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology. Find out what she’s involved with, what her favorite restaurant is, and what her future career will be, below!
HC: Okay first question, why did you choose your major and what kind of career would you like to pursue with it?
I chose a biology major because of two major reasons. One was that I have always really liked science classes. In high school I took both Honors and AP Biology, and both years I was always very interested in the material and loved learning more about the subject. Secondly, I already knew I wanted to become a doctor – more specifically, a pediatrician – when applying for college, so I wanted to choose something that would be most beneficial in preparing me for that career, and I thought Biological Sciences was my best bet.
HC: What was your childhood dream job?
As a child, I would always tell everyone that I was going to be a teacher when I grew up because I wanted to be the person helping kids learn.
HC: What are you involved with here on campus?
On campus I am mainly involved in Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity. I am also a member of the Honors College, and am a volunteer at the UIC Hospital on West Campus. I have also been a research assistant in the dermatology department of the UIC College of Medicine.
HC: Tell us about Alpha Phi Omega and how to join if interested:
Well, the first thing people should know about Alpha Phi Omega is that we are a National Service Fraternity. What makes us unique from all of the other fraternities and sororities on campus is that we are not a social fraternity, which is what most people automatically think of when they hear the word fraternity. We are a co-ed fraternity that does not participate in hazing, and does not reject any potential members, as long as they complete our membership requirements. Our three main pillars are leadership, friendship, and service. The cool thing about APO is that although it may sound like a hassle that we are “required” to do these things, they are always done with our brothers and the events are always super fun. We develop leadership skills and help out by doing service, while developing amazing friendships. Anyone can join APO – if you’re interested in joining, we take new pledges at the beginning of every semester. We have a rush week that is usually advertised at the involvement fairs and with flyers at info booths.
HC: What’s your favorite part of belonging to Greek life here at UIC and specifically APO?
Well, APO is not technically considered a part of the Greek life here at UIC due to the fact that we are not your typical social fraternity – we are not a part of the Greek counsel that social fraternities and sororities are a part of. We still try to have events with other fraternities and sororities and those are always fun – we have some members who are in other fraternities and sororities and it helps us bond with those organizations better. Because we are service and not social, it is completely fine to be a member of both.
My favorite part about being in APO is doing service. The service aspect of APO was what made me want to join in the first place, and being able to help the community alongside your friends is always super fun. Another big favorite is our spring break trip. We usually do our own alternative spring break, where our brothers travel out of the state and do volunteer work for a week while forming closer bonds to one another.
HC: What made you decide to run for the President position of Alpha Phi Omega?
I have been in APO since my freshman year and ever since my pledging semester I joined committees because I always wanted to help better our chapter. I decided to run for President because I had already been on the executive board the previous year, and I felt comfortable being in a leadership position. What pushed me to run for President was my desire to make some changes that I felt our chapter needed in order to improve, and what better way to make changes than to step up and lead your chapter in the right direction.
HC: I assume that there are a lot of responsibilities that go along with being president of an organization, how do you balance school work and a social life?
The most important thing is time management. There are times when events and school work or exams all pile up onto the same week or day and you just really have to look ahead and make sure you designate time for everything and make sure everything gets done.
HC: Do you have any advice for someone who’s thinking about running for a big role in an on-campus organization?
I guess my biggest advice would be to develop time management skills as well as communication skills. Communicating with (executive-board) members is very important when you’re running an organization. It’s essential to be able to ask for help and communicate with your team what needs to be done and make sure everyone is on the same page. When you have a successful team, it makes things run smoothly and it allows you to make time for school.
HC: Now for the fun questions: What’s your favorite restaurant here in Chicago?
I really like Go 4 Food; it’s a small restaurant in Chinatown. It’s so good!
HC: If you had the opportunity to take your favorite celebrity anywhere in Chicago where would you take them?
I would probably take them to a Bulls game!
HC: Cubs or Sox? (Yes, there is a right answer. No pressure!)
Cubs! (Although I’m not really a fan of baseball)