Kayla Samuels is a first year Elementary Education major from Denver, Colorado. She is an active member of the organization G.I.R.L. and has a great time working with the children in the Child Development Center on campus. Kalya’s positive and outgoing attitude is what has been clear to see through her time at Hampton.
HC: How would you define your style?
KS: My style would be very retro. I think it is important to be cute, yet comfortable.
HC: What impacted your decision to choose Hampton?
KS: I went to a PWI and I grew up in a non-cultured neighborhood and my mom thought it was important for me to experience different that what I was around. She suggested that I go to an HBCU and then hinted Hampton because she went to Norfolk State. She thought Hampton would be a better fit for me. I toured the campus and fell in love with it!
HC: How was your transition from going to a predominantly white Catholic school to an HBCU?
KS: The transition was definitely very hard. It was a culture shock. It was a different culture to get used to and different personalities to get used to. But it became easier because everyone was accepting and it wasn’t as hard for me to make friends as I thought it would be.”
HC: How is balancing a long distance relationship with your boyfriend?
KS: It is very hard to balance a distanced relationship, especially when you’re not able to see each other on every single break like other people. But it’s important to communicate a lot and make sure that the other person knows you are still in love and that you care. And it’s important to do the little things to show that you care.
HC: What advice would you give an incoming freshman who is going to pursue a long distance relationship?
KS: I would tell them that it’s definitely not going to be easy, but it’s definitely worth the shot. Everybody’s relationship is different and I would just tell them to try their best and not let anyone else influence your decision on what you’re going to do. A lot of people are haters and are going to tell you that it’s not going to work out, but it’s up to you whether your relationship is going to work out or not.
HC: Are you an active member of any organizations?
KS: I am apart of the organization G.I.R.L. We are a mentoring organization where we go around to schools and mentor girls from ages 5 to 18 and we are basically just somebody who is like a big sister to them. We exchange phone numbers with them if they are a little bit older and they are just able to talk to us whenever they need us or help with homework or any other life advice that we can help them with.
HC: What is your most embarrassing moment?
KS: It would be in high school when my cheer team was performing. An incident happened where one of my bases fell to the side and it looked like I fell and the whole crowd was like oooooooohhhhhhhh. And after that everyone was coming up to me like Kayla are you the one who fell. And I was just like yea, it was me.
HC: What has college taught you so far?
KS: College has taught me that procrastination is not a thing. Get your work done on time and it’s okay to party and have fun, but get your work done first.
HC: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
KS: I see myself as a successful educator who has inspired many children to live the best life possible.
HC: Who’s your best friend and why?
KS: Tiana Ruffin is my best friend because we were roommates in precollege and at first I didn’t think we were going to get along, but then she showed me a different side of her and she became like a sister to me.
HC: Who is your biggest inspiration?
KS: It would be my mom because she has accomplished so much at a young age. Being a senior buyer at NASA and putting her 2 kids through college on her own. She has never complained about it. She is the hardest worker I know and I hope I can be a great parent like she is to my children one day.
HC: What do you miss the most about Colorado?
KS: I miss the beautiful scenery. Waking up and having the best view of the mountains everyday. It has such a calm vibe and everyone there is just very chill and mellow. Nothing is ever a problem. It’s just really chill.
Keep up with Kayla on social media!
IG: @ooh__kay
Twitter: @SamuelsKayla
Snapchat: kayla_samuels2