Carolina girls are the best in the world! The fabulous Kiyah McDermid of the (9-1-0) Fayetteville, North Carolina opened up to me in a heartfelt interview about her passions and involvement here at UNC. Kiyah, age 21, is a senior, Pre-Nursing with Exercise and Sports Science and Sociology double majors. If she isn’t busting a move with UNC’s Kamikazi Dance team, then you’ll find her watching the Food Network trying out new recipes. She has a new found obsession over artist Sam Smith and when asked why Sam Smith, she pointed to her love for his lyricism and musicality. Plus he is a cutie too!
Her Campus: What all are you involved in on campus?
Kiyah: I am a part of Celebration of Black Womanhood, a subgroup of the Black Student Movement. I am the Campus Outreach Director of ArtHeels, a Public Health Counselor with Student Health Action Coalition, a UNC Hospital volunteer focusing in Physical Therapy and the Emergency Department, and a Minority Advisor with the Center for Student Success and Academic Counseling. I am also a part of Kamikazi Dance Team, as well as, a Select Member for Minority Student Recruitment and a member of the Theta Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, where I serve as the Parliamentarian, Social, Performance, and Connections chair. I also hold a part time job with the wonderful Baity Hill residence community as a customer service representative.
HC: How do you have time for all of this?
Kiyah: Passion truly drives me and gives me motivation. For the things that I dedicate my time and energy to is because I love what they do for my community and how they change and grow me as a person. It becomes a much easier task to integrate so many different commitments because for me, most of them are reciprocating and truly help mold me into a better woman. When I first arrived at Carolina, it was members of these organizations who took me under their wing and showed how to navigate this new world I was experiencing. Someone took the time to be a mentor and light to me, and I do what I do in order to be a light to someone else. I want to give back to a community that has given so much to me. My love for dance and my work in ArtHeels gives me an outlet from the stress of being a college student. I have always viewed reciprocity to be a core value, and just thinking on my campus involvement, to whom much is given much is required and I just want to give to the world as much as was given to me.
HC: What does it mean to you to be a Tarheel?
Kiyah: Being a Tarheel means embracing the campus spirit, faculty, community. It means being innovative and bold. As Tarheels, we are advocates for change, not only for the Carolina community but for voiceless communities everywhere. As Tarheels, we look to celebrate one another and the prestige and history of UNC. Being a Tarheel means family, academia, research and embracing the Carolina Way. Each person comes to Carolina with a fire inside of them and here is the place to fuel that fire! When I came to Carolina, I had a beautiful revelation. You do not have to look far and wide to find inspiration or to seek the next leaders of tomorrow, they sit next to you in class, they eat lunch with you, they laugh, cry, and share dreams with you every day. Carolina is a university full of gems and I am just lucky enough to be able to thrive and learn at a campus like this one.
HC: What do you want to do after Carolina?
Kiyah: Hmm, tough question because I swear I would love to do so many things with my life. One career just isn’t going to cut it with me. However, my first priority is nursing school and then my masters in nursing to become a nurse practitioner. I want to battle this ongoing epidemic of health disparities in predominantly minority communities. After my experiences at Leadershape, a 7-day leadership program hosted by Carolina’s CLD department, I envisioned myself owning a franchise of facilities that targeted minority communities and provided patients with different healing therapies. Dance, music, literature, culinary, physical therapy, different modalities to combat health issues. It was a way to combine my passion for healthcare and the arts. (she laughs) I also want to have a cooking show on Food Network. Overall, I just want to live my life and be happy and fabulous.
HC: If I could tell the reader anything from personal experience, what would it be?
Kiyah: I would tell them: Failure isn’t bad. One thing I have learned growing up is that we all fail but it’s what you do following that truly dictates your life course. Learn from your failures and use them to motivate yourself and others because failures are just the stepping stones for future successes. I love the quote “in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take,” so go forth, prosper, and even when you do fall, pick yourself up and keep taking chances. It’s the best way to learn.
You can keep up with Ms. Kiyah on Instagram & Twitter @KayEm03 and Facebook @ Kay McDermid.