Built by Bama, Bound to Lead

When Kaylin Campbell talks about The University of Alabama, her eyes light up with a pride from genuine passion and love. For her, coming to UA was not just a college decision — it was coming home.

“I didn’t even apply anywhere else,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh, Alabama’s where I want to go.’”

Although she grew up in Trussville, Alabama, Tuscaloosa has always played a prominent role in her life. Both of her parents are UA graduates, her dad grew up in Tuscaloosa, and her older brother is still on campus working on his master’s. All these family ties made UA’s campus feel comfortable.

“The more we came here, I realized this is home,” she said.

Now a junior studying kinesiology with a minor in psychology, Kaylin is on the pre-physical therapy track and is deeply involved in campus life. Whether it is on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium as a member of the Million Dollar Band color guard or as an Avanti orientation leader, Kaylin is making a difference wherever she goes.

Becoming an Avanti

Kaylin thrives when surrounded by others, so she knew it was important for her to find different campus clubs and organizations where she could make a difference and stay connected. One of these opportunities was becoming an Avanti orientation leader, an inspiration she got from her older brother.

“He was an Avanti orientation leader when he was here, and he just always talked about how it was really cool,” she said. “So, I was like, okay, I guess I’ll do that too.”

After completing a competitive application and interview process, Kaylin began training and realized just how much the role had to offer. What started as something to do over the summer quickly turned into a transformative leadership opportunity.

“The knowledge I gained from just learning about the campus—I never knew we had a safety app,” she said. “Just little things like that I was learning, not just for me, but to teach the next group of people coming in.”

More than anything, Kaylin wanted to pass on her love for the University to new students.

“We talk about our ‘why’ with us being an Avanti,” she said. “I had such a strong love for the University coming into it, and I want to be able to put that into the people that are coming in… just give them little snippets of, ‘Hey, this place is really special.’”

Working with Families and Leading Behind the Scenes

During orientation, Kaylin often found herself working with parents— and she loved it. She felt her role was to help ease that transition.

“Coaching them through like, ‘I hope in your short time on campus you can see that this place is going to be really great for your child’… that is so rewarding.”

Now, as a student coordinator for Parent & Family Programs, Kaylin helps manage large-scale events like Family Weekend, interviews new Avanti applicants, and prepares summer training materials. She works with two other student coordinators who have made this job an even more exciting experience.

“We each have a little task,” she said. “One of my coworkers handles social media. I’m working on safety protocols, but it’s fun. We all just brainstorm together—we literally came in during Christmas break just to work on ideas.”

Encouraging Parents to Get Involved

For families who may be unsure about attending Parent Orientation, Kaylin has a clear message: it’s worth it.

“It’s important that parents can come and not only witness the University for themselves but also experience the whole thing with their child,” she said. “They get to sit in on panels, ask questions to current students, meet other parents from the same region… it helps them build their own community.”

For families with younger siblings, Kaylin highly recommends Sibling Orientation.

“It’s for high school students, and it’s such a cool experience. My little sister did it,” Kaylin shared. “Honestly, they get to do some great things—tour the stadium, hang out around campus—it’s like their own mini-orientation.”

Professional Growth and Future Goals

Through it all, Kaylin is already seeing how this experience is shaping her both professionally and personally. She has learned how to hold conversations with others and carry herself with confidence and poise.

“You always have to put your best foot forward, because obviously, you’re representing The University of Alabama at all times,” she said. “That’ll help me in the future, especially when I apply to PT school.”

Kaylin may still have two more years left at the Capstone, but she is already thinking about the legacy she hopes to leave.

“I want to lead the new Avantis by example—showing them, hey, this is going to be difficult, [and] you’re going to be tired, but that’s okay…you’re representing something a lot bigger than yourself.”