W E L C O M E
Ode to C . A .
K A T H A L E E Y A G O M E Z
I ’ d be extremely rich if I got a nickel every time I heard someone say , “ wait , you don ’ t get paid to do this ?” For the past eleven years , I ’ ve dedicated the majority of my free time to the Division of Collegiate Affairs ( CA ). I use the term “ free time ” loosely . I take most of the calls while driving , working in between tables , on the toilet , in the shower , and for the past two years , while nursing my boys . If you ’ ve ever had a Zoom meeting with me , my video is never on because I was probably multitasking . I was inducted into Kappa Delta Chi in 2004 and graduated in 2010 ; I was a super senior . Since my induction in 2004 , tirelessly and without any regrets , I ’ ve dedicated my time to our sisterhood . It took me 6 years to graduate from a 4 year institution when it should ’ ve only taken me 2 since I was a transfer student . I moved to Las Vegas from Sacramento , CA by myself , worked two jobs , rushed KDChi , and redshirted for the running rebels softball team all within my first semester at UNLV . In the fall of 2004 , I became the first class to rush Alpha Zeta Chapter on the UNLV campus .
KDChi was the first Latina sorority on campus , but no one knew who we were and what that meant . I made it a priority to ensure that would change . Yes , I skipped class to table events , threw parties at my house to have socials and be more visible on campus . I strolled and traveled to other KDChi chapters in neighboring states to meet new sisters and learn from what they had already established . If I were a penguin , I might as well have been Penny herself . Some of what I mentioned contributed to my delayed graduation . I went so hard in the paint that my academics plummeted . I was academically suspended and when I was allowed to return , I was placed on probation . Eventually , I graduated but I still had to petition to graduate since my GPA was poor .
I joined the Division of Collegiate Affairs in 2011 as a regional chair . I was single , a bartender / server who was eager to travel and wanting nothing more than to help my sisters . What I had experienced as an undergraduate , I didn ’ t want to see happen to anyone else . I wished that there was someone there to nudge and guide me in a better direction . I wished I had someone to snap me out of my KDChi high , tell me to focus on my priorities , and remind me of why I was in school to begin with .