Kayla Moats found herself and her voice at The Woods.
By Lindsey Richardt ’07
As a Terre Haute, Ind. native, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) junior Kayla Moats has always been aware of SMWC, but it was not until her first campus visit that she imagined herself living The Woods experience – an experience she says has changed her life.
Moats immediately recognized a higher level of care and support at SMWC that she didn’t experience on other college visits. That same support system helped her transform from a reserved, disengaged high school student into an independent and outspoken leader who is discovering new passions and achieving a level of confidence she has not known before. Today, Moats is arguably one of the most involved students at The Woods. She serves as a Resident Assistant in Le Fer Hall, Junior Class Secretary, Student Activities Committee member, is an intramural sport enthusiast and a member of Campus Ministries and Phi Beta Lambda.
“On my initial visit to SMWC, I was surprised by the number of people who cared that I was here. I felt like I meant something, and I have continued to feel special and unique here. In high school, I was quiet and didn’t take advantage of leadership opportunities and that has completely flipped since attending The Woods. The fact that people care about me has helped me grow, change and become a better, more confident person,” Moats said.
Moats made a last-minute decision to attend SMWC and live on campus – a decision that has made all the difference. As the focal point of campus activity, life in Le Fer instills a sense of belonging. The close-knit community formed inside the walls of the historic 1923 limestone and brick mansion made it easy for Moats to step outside of her comfort zone and find her voice.
“When you live on campus, Le Fer quickly becomes your life. You naturally get involved and make connections. Plus, there’s so much to do on campus – like visit the gym, participate in intramurals or attend a campus life event – and it is all so close to my room. I would not have gotten involved in half of the opportunities I am involved in now if I didn’t live in Le Fer.”
Life at The Woods has driven Moats to aspire higher and seek opportunities she never thought possible, which has been visible even to her peers. Moats was nominated as a Junior Class Officer, making her responsible for the planning of major milestone events, like Big/Little and Ring Day. She was also selected to serve as a resident assistant in Le Fer Hall where she often finds herself encouraging classmates to follow in her footsteps.
“SMWC is filled with so many leadership opportunities. I like to tell my classmates to try for things they didn’t think they could do. I didn’t try for leadership opportunities before The Woods because I never thought I could get them. Now, I feel comfortable going after opportunities I want. Getting involved has helped me become more confident in myself, and I am beyond thankful for that.”
Moats shares the same enthusiasm for leadership opportunities outside of the classroom as she does for her work in the classroom. She is a double major in marketing and graphic design and has made the Dean’s List each semester. Her achievements in the classroom helped Moats earn an internship in the College’s Office of Marketing & Communications where she assisted in the development and launch of SMWC’s new mobile website. Her hard work on the website ultimately landed her an opportunity to intern for Jen Perry, SMWC Board of Trustee. Perry is co-owner of a new company called BoxUp where Moats gets to put her graphic design and marketing skills to use by creating graphics and content for the company’s blog and social media accounts.
After three years at SMWC, Moats’ outlook on life has changed. The confidence and leadership experience Moats has gained in and out of the classroom will serve her well after graduation. Ultimately, her goal is to pursue a career in the marketing field after she graduates in 2019.
“I continue to be surprised by how much I have changed as a person since going to SMWC. I was told college changes you, but I wasn’t expecting to change so much and in such a positive way. In addition to feeling more confident and getting more involved, I started working out and got healthier. I owe The Woods for inspiring such an unexpected transformation.”
“A Day in my Life” – By Kayla Moats
- 6:30 am: I wake up bright and early to get ready for another busy day at SMWC.
- 7:20 am: Breakfast time! I head down to the basement of Le Fer and quickly grab cereal and some coffee to go.
- 8-11 am: I head to downtown Terre Haute to my marketing internship at BoxUp. I begin my day by doing one of my favorite tasks, which is creating content and graphics for BoxUp’s multiple social media pages.
- 12:30 – 1 pm: During this time, I have a brief break for lunch, so I meet my friends at Rooney Library and grab some coffee and a salad.
- 1-1:50 pm: My first class of the day is International Marketing. In this class, we discuss some of the challenges and benefits of a company going global.
- 2-3:50 pm: My next class is 3D Art where we are creating giant cardboard heads that look like us.
- 4-5 pm: I have a little bit of free time before dinner, so I take this time to go to Club 64 fitness center.
- 5-6 pm: Dinner time in O’Shag!
- 7:30-8:30 pm: I have a Student Activities Committee meeting in one of the classrooms of Le Fer. I am the treasurer, so it’s important to be on time.
- 9 pm: It’s snack time in the basement of Le Fer. Hopefully, its chicken nugget night!
- 9-12 am: I then hang out/study in campus life [office] with some of my fellow resident assistants. I usually stay in campus life until all of my homework is done and then I head up to my room for bed.