The Senior Spotlight to End All Senior Spotlights: Kaitlynne Rainne
Written by Ally Abruscato Graphic by Ally Abruscato
If you’ve ever been to a District meeting, you’ve heard our past Editor-in-Chief, Kaitlynne Rainne, pitch Senior Spotlight. Kaitlynne always advocated for SCAD seniors’ stories to be heard. It is only right that Kaitlynne’s own story is shared as she, against my wishes, graduates and leaves District to enter the real world. For the Queen of Senior Spotlights, here is yours.
After what seems like a lifetime at SCAD, Kaitlynne is saying goodbye to Savannah with a BFA in Fashion Design in one hand and an MFA in Writing in the other. While those might seem like a random pairing, it felt like fate to Kaitylnne. Even though she came from her home in Belize to study fashion, she “always loved writing from the start.” After completing her undergraduate degree, Kaitlynne still wanted more time to figure out what she truly wanted to do for the rest of her life. Continuing her academic journey at SCAD proved to be the perfect choice. Getting her master’s degree allowed Kaitylnne to pursue her longtime love of writing, further advance in the ranks of Res Life, and continue as our fearless E.I.C.
Like many of our contributors, Kaitlynne joined District in the fall, right before the Film Festival rolled around. She oh-so-gracefully slid into our Instagram DMs and attended the meetings on Zoom (throwback to 2020). Her first-ever article was a Film Fest movie review, which led to her becoming a consistent contributor. Kaitlynne became a Copyeditor in the spring of 2021 and the Editor-in-Chief that winter. Ever since, she’s been turning the O-House Student Media Center into an O-Home. With her generosity and kindness, Kaitlynne created the welcoming and loving District community we all know today. Throughout her time as E.I.C., Kaitlynne fostered an environment unlike any other and chose a group of editors who were destined to be best friends. Her love for District runs deep, and she even stayed an extra quarter to help us with copy editing before she graduated. We rode home together every Wednesday and sat in the Boundary parking lot for who knows how long, recounting every detail of the meeting and our lives. It is hard to imagine District without Kaitlynne, but I understand that her light is meant to brighten plenty of other newsrooms and offices in this world. We’re lucky enough that she shone for so long in ours.
As an MFA Writing student, Kaitlynne was tasked with writing the first 70 pages of a book for her thesis. “Between Girlhood and Growing Up” is the beginning of a memoir that documents “key moments in my childhood that I know have defined me.” The collection of childhood memories “have lived in me for so long that I thought it was time to just get them out on paper.” Interestingly enough, Kaitlynne wrote what became the first chapter of her book in a Creative Nonfiction class a few quarters ago. She finished off her time at SCAD as a Teacher’s Assistant for that same class. In the many late nights she spent working on her thesis, Kaitlynne knew that she wanted “something that I can look back on and be proud of.” After hours and hours of hard work, it is safe to say that’s the case.
Of course, we can’t talk about Kaitlynne without discussing her lengthy career in Resident Life. From Resident Assistant to Community Assistant to Residence Coordinator, Kaitlynne has climbed the ranks. She spent 18 quarters working in this community and “can’t imagine my SCAD career without being in Res Life.” After all of her hard work and dedication, it is no wonder she was named this year’s Student Leader of the Year.
Although she’s not sure exactly what is in store for her post-graduation, there is no doubt that Kaitlynne is destined for great things. While she has the spotlight now, she wants everyone to know that her only wish is for the Senior Spotlight to shine on. Senior Spotlight “was one of the first pitches that I did when I joined as an editor, and I just hope that…it could continue.” Of course, we could never let it die.
Thank you for your relentless dedication to District Kaitlynne. We love you.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
