“I first met Kaitlyn when she was interviewing for a position in the Office of Admissions.

Portrait of Rachel Ahern

From that moment, I knew she had an electric personality and would be perfect for her role. The interesting thing about her position is that it was the first of its kind. Because of this, Kaitlyn had both the opportunity and challenge to make this position her own and shape it into what it has become today. This became a very interesting mentor/mentee relationship because we were certainly growing together.

We truly got to become partners in the process with designing the presentation and content that would be shared with prospective students. We were able to build off one another as I was able to learn about her experiences as a student pursuing a graduate degree in the health sciences while I was able to help share experiences in engaging with her audience, presentation skills, and problem solving.

Kaitlyn has taught me so much about following the beat of your own drum, being unshakable in motivation and pursuing your goals, and dealing with challenges. The most rewarding moment of our relationship came when she called me at 8:00 sharp on a Friday morning and screamed into the phone that she finally achieved her dream of getting into dental school and getting to share in that excitement with her. Not only was I so proud of her for all her hard work, I am confident that we will continue to develop our relationship and I will get to support her in her next endeavor.

When I transitioned into a new role within the health sciences, I often catch myself thinking “how would Kaitlyn approach this?” and am lucky enough to continue to partner with her in this new capacity. I’m so thankful for getting the chance to not only help her develop into an amazing speaker and individual who is able to connect with others but learn from her and adopt some of her daily practices for undeniable positivity and joy.” 

Rachel Ahern, Admissions & Enrollment Coordinator – Carver College of Medicine

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