Name: Kaila Nechelle Yancey
Classification: Junior
Major: Journalism Concentration: Public Relations
Minor: Hospitality
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Hobbies: Shopping, exercising, baking, and making people laugh
Relationship Status: Taken
Instagram: @kaileeannlove
Kaila Yancey is known around campus for her bubbly, friendly demeanor, radiating positivity and sharing her infectious laugh. It was a delight to sit down with Yancey and discover her unconventional journey to Georgia State. While awaiting her housing assignment from Spelman College, her family’s alma mater, Yancey accompanied a friend on a GSU tour, and she was amazed at what she saw.
She was intrigued by the student diversity and the “New York-like” feel of being in the city. She realized she didn’t want to attend Spelman and possibly limit her opportunities, and promptly told her mother she was set on GSU. Yancey has grown to love the inner city atmosphere, and she thrives off of the infectious energy of all of the students on their grind. She loves that her school doesn’t feel like a conventional university, and she basks in the passion for success and go-getter attitudes that students radiate.
Yancey plans to open her own PR agency focused on building personal brands and motivating entrepreneurs to maximize their potential. Additionally, she is working towards developing a global non-profit organization to give back to those in need around the world. Yancey appreciates the many avenues GSU has available to help her achieve her goals. She currently works in the Student Center Administrative Office, and she values the skills and connections she has gained in her time there. She has invested her time in taking her major courses seriously, and she appreciates the relationships she has been able to build with her professors. According to Yancey, “Life is about taking in as much as you can,” and she is investing in herself by seizing offers and internships she’s been awarded, and putting her best foot forward.
This year, she has scaled back her campus involvement so she can focus wholeheartedly. As an RA in Piedmont North, she is determined to spread her love to all 109 of her residents. She is also a 1913 Society Student Ambassador. The prestigious position has honed her professional skills and has helped her develop a great appreciation for the opportunity to experience settings she may not have otherwise. From sitting in on meetings with the Board of Regents to sitting in on meetings with Mayor Kassim Reed, Yancey relishes in those moments and recognizes her potential to be and do anything she imagines. Balancing classes, career pursuits, and a social life can be quite a task. Yancey says, “Communication is the most important thing.” Her friendships are maintained through mutual understanding that her time is limited, so when they do get the chance to hang out they make the most of it. Communication also plays a significant role in her relationship of two years.
(Kaila pictured with her beau, Keimon)
“It’s important to be open about our life goals and aspirations, and honestly evaluate if we can handle them together. When you understand the other person’s goals and choose to be supportive, it’s easier for things to work out.”
Laughter, friendship, and understanding are the foundations her relationship are built on, and she advises others to take the same approach. Yancey has come to the understanding that she has to take life in steps. She knows she can’t rush the process, and she has to pay her dues to get where she wants to go. Yancey is known to work through spring break and she rarely takes a vacation. This year is different. She took it upon herself to plan a surprise trip to Myrtle Beach for her boyfriend. She even went to the length of speaking with her boyfriend’s boss to request the days off for him. She’s looking forward to relaxing, visiting Margaritaville and local attractions, and seeing if her boyfriend can put his self-proclaimed fishing expertise to the test.