This week I had the opportunity to sit down with the Kappa Alpha Theta Facility Director. Theta has had the pleasure to have Kathryn Hopkins, better known as Ms. Kate, for the last eight years.
Ms. Kate, a Florida native, graduated from San Jose State, where she was her chapter’s House Manager. “I lived in my sorority house and I loved it. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my college career,” she says. She valued her position and loved serving her chapter, but never had the expectation of actually be a Facility Director one day.
She has two children, a son and a daughter, that both graduated from the University Alabama. One day during a visit to Tuscaloosa with her children, she took a walk around sorority row and impulsively approached a house to find out information about becoming a house mom. “Before I knew it, I was on a plane to my first interview,” she said.
Her journey as Facility Director began with a sorority at Colorado State for two years. She then moved to South Carolina to be a Facility Director for a fraternity at University of South Carolina for a semester. Seven years after she landed her first job as Facility Director, she accepted a new job with enthusiasm at Alabama, where her journey began.
Being a Facility Director entails a lot more than meets the eye, and it definitely takes a specific person with a level-headed and fun attitude to get the job done.
Ms. Kate reveals, “There are a lot of misconceptions about my job. I’m pretty much like an on-site property manager. I make calls if something isn’t working and fix little things around the house, but I also like to do extra little things for the girls like picking up Sunday dinner for in house girls, getting study snacks during Dead Week and Finals Week and making flower arrangements for the house. It really is a lot of fun.”
Ms. Kate’s favorite part about her job is that every day presents new experiences, which keeps life interesting. Game days are among Ms. Kate’s favorite memories during her time at Theta. “They are such a unique experience, and our house’s location never fails to lend a true Alabama Game day experience,” she said.
The women of Theta love Ms. Kate and appreciate all that she does to go above and beyond for them. They love that Ms. Kate keeps them up to date with new decorations and additions to the house, along with the yummy food and desserts via Facebook with photos. Ms. Kate enjoys having the opportunity to get to know all of the women and is always willing to help, hang out or talk whenever her door is open.
Ms. Kate told me that the best part of her job is that the women respect her and treat her like a friend. It is safe to say that Theta feels equally lucky to have such a humorous, transparent and respected woman to call their Facility Director.
