Kaylee, Film and Media Art with a Minor in Korean Language, Senior
"Heritage can be as freeing as it is grounding; I’m allowed to redefine both."
For Kaylee, heritage is a complicated; from German phrases, a family Bible passed down generations, and memories of a small German-American club where childhood summers were spent playing soccer.
Her heritage is real, if distant, and she honors it through simple rituals: cooking with her grandmother, recalling phrases her mother uses, and appreciating the sense of community they fostered. Yet, Kaylee’s identity is far from traditional. As a non-binary, queer person, she seeks spaces that honor both heritage and gender expression—a blend that her conservative upbringing didn’t fully allow.
Her experience at AU has added another layer, as she discovered inclusive spaces that, for the first time, feel like home. It’s the duality she hopes to communicate to the AU community: that it’s possible to embrace tradition while creating new spaces that better reflect her authentic self.
Her message? Each person holds multitudes, and finding community is about belonging to something without losing any part of who you are.