Kayla Rutledge
- Position: Executive Assistant to the Dean
- Department: Dean’s Suite
- Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
What was your path to this position?
I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) in 2020 with a double major in advertising/PR and political science. I’ve always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was fortunate enough to get into the MFA in Creative Writing at NC State right away, where I fell in love with NC State while teaching Introduction to Fiction Writing to undergraduates.
I had always thought of NC State as a “STEM school,” but my students challenged that perspective, and I loved their intellectual diversity and “think and do” mentality.
After graduating in 2022, I took a break from higher education and did something I’d always wanted to do — be a barista! I started working at Jubala, learning all about specialty coffee and meeting some of the coolest people around (including my fiancé).
After about a year-and-a-half, I wanted to work with students again, but was wary of adjuncting. My current position allows me to connect with students via managing the dean’s page program, while still having enough time to write creatively on the side.
Why were you interested in this position / in working at the Wilson College?
The Wilson College embodies my favorite values of NC State — we have fashion students and engineers in one building, collaborating to make the world a more sustainable, compassionate place. I wanted to work in a place that brought together all kinds of different research because I feel like it’s the best way to remain creative and curious as a writer and human. When I was interviewing for the position and found it involved managing the students who work in the dean’s suite, I was sold, because mentorship and creating community are both really important to me.
What are your duties on a day-to-day basis?
I manage the dean’s calendar and usually, people go through me if they need him to sign or approve things. I also handle the catering and event planning for large meetings or events that the dean’s office is hosting, like holiday parties or Dean’s Council.
When I’m not working for the dean, I’m making sure the pages have projects that keep them interested and growing. Currently, I also run the awards committee for the college, am coordinating the 125th anniversary displays, and help plan large meetings and events.
What is your favorite part of your job and/or working at the Wilson College of Textiles?
My favorite part of my job is making the dean’s suite a fun, engaging place to work for both my coworkers and the dean’s pages. Whether that’s decorating for the holidays, making sure a catering order is particularly yummy, or welcoming guests, I like bringing a little extra aesthetic happiness to academia.
It’s one of my personal mantras that life is only interesting if you make it interesting, and I want to make Wilson College a more interesting place each and every day!
What do you like to do outside of work?
When I’m not at work, I like reading and writing — I’ve been in a Russian fiction and theory phase recently — as well as crafting. I just taught myself how to screenprint! I also sing for my church on Sundays, and when I’m not doing any of that you can find me doing yoga, going on long walks, playing pickleball and hanging out with Lucas, my fiancé.
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