Rising Stars: Meet Kylie Rios of Long Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kylie Rios

Hi Kylie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi everyone! My name is Kylie. I’m 20 years old, and I grew up in Orange, California with the most amazing family. My parents, Ken and Michelle, are my greatest role models who filled our house with love, music, and memories. I also have a sister, Tashi, who is 2 years older than me and is basically my best friend. We have such opposite interests and personalities, but that is what makes us so close as sisters. I grew up with a passion for school and an interest in the ocean.

Throughout grade school and high school, I knew the ocean is what I wanted to study and eventually achieve my career in. While I didn’t know it at the time, choosing to attend California State University, Long Beach to major in marine biology was the greatest decision I could’ve made so far. I came to college wanting to make friends and focus on my major with no intention of joining a sorority. Thankfully, my freshman year roommate convinced me to attend an informational meeting about all the sororities on campus with her which changed my mind completely. I instantly knew Sigma Kappa was the sorority I felt most at home with after learning about our five different philanthropies that we support: the Sigma Kappa Foundation, Inherit the Earth, Gerontology (the study of aging), the Maine Seacoast Mission, and the Alzheimer’s Association. One of Sigma Kappa’s most important contributions nationally is funding Alzheimer’s disease research. During recruitment, hearing all the Sigma Kappa girls’ personal experiences involving this disease was something I’ve never experienced before. My great grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and my mom took care of him until he passed away. I thought no one understood what that felt like to know what my mom had to go through and not be able to do anything for her until I met these girls. Even if some of them may not have had personal experiences with Alzheimer’s, the compassion and empathy I felt during recruitment for their sisters that have had to deal with this horrible disease will be something I’ll never forget. I knew after that day Sigma Kappa would be a safe place for me full of women who are there to support one another and lean on each other.

I had the assumption coming into college that I’d be friends with all the girls on my dorm floor and make tons of friends in my classes. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, which is why I found joining a sorority so rewarding. I have found my best friends and roommates through this chapter. Sigma Kappa gave me my amazing “big sister”, Cami, who showed me the balance of hard work and taking breaks for yourself to have fun. I also have two littles, Irene and Mackenzie, who I connected with as soon as I met them and knew I needed both of them in my life for the long run. It was Cami who encouraged me to apply for my first position in the chapter as the Outerphilanthropy Chair. I was in charge of organizing our chapter’s participation in other chapter’s philanthropy events. This position then led me to being elected as Vice President of Philanthropic Services the following year. I could not be more grateful for being given this position considering how close I hold our philanthropies to my heart. With this position, I get to plan our philanthropy week, which is full of spreading awareness about our philanthropies and fundraising for them, organize community service events for our chapter to participate, and lead my chapter during the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s held by the Alzheimer’s Association every October. I have loved every minute of this position and cannot wait to see what’s in store for our upcoming fall semester.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Getting to college itself has not been an easy road for me. I struggled with burnout during high school which led to me losing my passion for school for some time. As someone who is a perfectionist and overachiever, I would put my all into every assignment, exam, club, and organization I was a part of, and put too much pressure on myself. I was also hit with a reality check during college applications when I didn’t get accepted into some of the schools I dreamt of going to. My peers and teachers always grew my confidence in getting into these schools because of my packed resume and grades. But when I didn’t get in, I remember being so angry at everyone who gave me false hope and feeling like I wasn’t enough after being rejected. Since then, I’ve learned that those people simply just believed in me and that the college acceptance process is in no way personal. It wasn’t until I dormed my first year with my roommate, Alexia, and joined Sigma Kappa that I found my place at Cal State Long Beach. I’ve enjoyed all the classes I have taken and learned how great their marine biology program is. This experience was the true example that everything happens for a reason. I was meant to come to this school and join Sigma Kappa as I have gotten everything I dreamed of college being. While college has been the best experience so far, it has come with its struggles as well that I’m sure every student has felt. The overwhelming feeling of having a difficult major with loads of studying, being an active member in my sorority, having a part time job, trying to volunteer and get experience for my career, and making time for my friends and family can be a lot to handle. Sometimes the overwhelming feeling wins, and I will just lay in bed and do nothing as a way of resetting. Yet sometimes, I’m extremely proud of myself when I can do it all. I’ve learned skills I know will help me in the future and make all the stress worth it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I mentioned earlier, one of the responsibilities of the VP of Philanthropic Services is planning our philanthropy week. Some events during the week include: fundraising on campus by selling things such as donuts, running a game known as Coin Wars where the fraternities on campus try to fill their chapter’s jar with as much change as they can to earn points, and working with fast food places to have a community wide fundraisers where they donate a certain percentage of the funds. Every semester, we have a main sport tournament between all the fraternities to raise money and have a friendly competition. Some of the sports tournaments we’ve held include volleyball, soccer, and basketball. Last semester, our chapter raised $2000 from our philanthropy week alone. This accomplishment is something I’m extremely proud of as this was my first semester with this position. Some other events I have planned include making friendly cards for a senior citizen home, numerous beach clean ups, and a campus wide Trivia Night fundraiser. I also share other community service opportunities with my chapter that I find going on locally. As service is one of Sigma Kappa’s four values, we pride ourselves in participating in as many service opportunities as we can.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As I talked about a little in the beginning, I grew up in the most heartwarming home I could ask for. In our house, my parents taught my sister and I that we could be anything we wanted to be: an astronaut, a teacher, a veterinarian, etc. No career was impossible. While my sister landed on becoming a journalist, I wanted to pursue marine biology. Even though these careers may not be the easiest or highest paying jobs, my parents have given us nothing but endless support. I have always been a hard working, determined person, and I truly owe it all to them.

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