Kaila Brown, sociology major and managerial studies minor from the class of ’14, is this week’s campus celebrity. Kaila is a member of the executive board of Vanderbilt’s MOSAIC, takes part in the LIFE project, and is a Vandy tour guide.
HC: Can you explain what MOSAIC is all about?
KB: MOSAIC is a program intended to encourage multicultural diversity on Vanderbilt’s campus. We organize a long recruitment weekend for high school seniors who have multicultural backgrounds.
HC: What inspired you to participate in MOSAIC?
KB: I attended the recruitment weekend as a senior and really enjoyed it. It gave me a fuller experience of what normal Vandy life is like. I loved the campus, faculty, and people I met.
HC: What exactly is your position in MOSAIC and what did you do for the recent recruitment weekend?
KB: I’m the host and volunteer coordinator; I take care of recruiting and assigning hosts and volunteers for the weekend and the events and activities we throw like the Spring Fling event.
HC: And how did this year’s weekend go, in your opinion?
KB: I think it went really, really smoothly! It’s weird being on the other side of the activities because when I was a senior attending the weekend everything seemed to be perfectly planned. It’s definitely not as perfect as it seemed then, but I think it went really well. The challenge is getting the word out.
HC: What’s your personal opinion on diversity at Vandy?
KB: It’s getting better- not at a point yet where we should be fine with it. We’re going in the right direction but we shouldn’t get complacent about it. You have to remember that diversity is not just races, it’s socioeconomic status, ideals, politics, and a bunch of other stuff too.
HC: Can you let us know a little bit about what you’re doing for the LIFE project?
KB: Sure! I mentor a high school senior. We meet a couple times a month, the point is mostly to try to give them a good role model. We have themed meetings about things like college prep, self-defense, inner beauty, etc. I love my mentee, she’s hilarious! I talk to her every week, if she ever needs anything she knows she can call me.
HC: Sounds like you really do a lot with kids and education.
KB: Yeah, I’m going to work for Vanderbilt Summer Academy this summer. It’s a program where gifted middle school and high school kids come for 1-2 weeks to take a class. I’ll be kind of like a counselor for them. I’ll eat with them, make sure they get along and enjoy themselves. I just like working with kids and planning activities.
HC: Do you think that’s something you’ll end up doing as a career?
KB: I have a lot of different things I want to do…I’ve always been interested in the education system and had a passion for the education of youth. I don’t really want to be a teacher necessarily so I want to work at a college. I’d LOVE to be a Dean of Admissions or something.