Meet POKAT. Standing at about 5’10”, Kaitlin Rich, the president of Kappa Alpha Theta, was born in Hong Kong and bred in LA. Entering high school, she moved with her family to Portland, OR, where she learned that Portland would never live up to LA. She listened to her intuitions and jumped at a chance to come back to her roots in SoCal when she was accepted to LMU. Kaitlin joined Kappa Alpha Theta in the spring of her freshman year, and she immediately became involved.
- What is your favorite part about being both a member and serving as the president of Theta?
One of my favorite things about Theta has been the opportunity to be involved. One of my personal philosophies is that you get out of anything what you put into it. Being involved in Theta has given me the opportunity to meet the most amazing girls and has made me have a much deeper appreciation for the organization that I am a part of.
- What is the biggest challenge you face as president?
I think my biggest challenge is being the “fun-sucker” of Theta. I really try to be a positive person and I hate having to lecture girls as the fun police. Ultimately, I just want to make sure that all of the girls in my organization are safe.
- What are you looking forward to in the rest of your term?
I am looking forward to continuing to get to know girls in the chapter better. As an exec member last year, I was able to meet so many people, and I hope I continue to meet girls this year – especially our new 2014 pledge class!
- What do you hope to give to your chapter?
My goal by the end of my term is to leave Theta a better place than it was when I first stepped in to office. Luckily, my lovely previous President, Nicole, set things up very nicely for me. I just hope to continue her legacy to improve the chapter and leave it in the best possible place for the next President.
- Do you have any advice for the nest president?
My advice to the next president is that you can’t do it all! I like to be involved in every single decision that is made by my exec team and cabinet, which is sometimes to my own detriment. I think that it is great to be involved, but picking and choosing what o be involved in. Since I am still learning, I think this is something that is so important to pass along to the next president. Also, make sure to take “me time”! I think I need to do at least one little thing for myself once a week.
If you run into Kaitlin between her busy schedule and her Don Draper daydreams, you might be lucky enough to catch of glimpse of this Hungarian beauty’s soft side. The combination of her sincerity, loyalty, and welcoming demeanor make for the perfect president, friend, and roommate. Make sure you say hi when you see her buzzing around campus!