In Conversation: Kai Ricketts and Her Journey Starting the Spelman B&B Chapter

Marketing Director Dominique Turner sat down with Kai Ricketts Spelman Chapter President to discuss how she, along with her fellow Spelmanites, created the Spelman chapter of Ballet & Books.

Dominique: Hi Kai! Thank you for taking the time to join us and talk about your experience so far. To start off, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Kai: Hi! My name is Kai Ricketts, I am a sophomore Elementary Education major at Spelman from Miami, Florida. With my degree in Education I plan to teach and eventually enter the philanthropy space to ensure our country’s corporations are doing their part and giving back to the youth. I have been classically trained in almost all disciplines of dance since I was 3 years under the direction of Shannon Haynes at the Diva Arts Dance Studio. I also had the privilege of attending the top performing arts high school in the state of Florida for two years, New World School of the Arts, so dance is near and dear to my heart. 

D: What drew you to begin starting a Spelman Ballet & Books Chapter?

K: Initially, I learned about Ballet & Books through a friend who is currently a mentor with the Morningside Chapter. After inquiring about the program and conducting my own research, I realized Howard was the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) apart of Ballet & Books. Also, as far as organizations on our campus, there was nothing like Ballet & Books at Spelman.  

As an Elementary Education major and a dancer myself, I knew I wanted to continue my dance journey with this organization and help children find their voice through dance just as I did. Ballet & Books’ mission aligns well with Spelman’s and I cannot wait to see how our team will continue the excellence here in Atlanta.   

D: I love that, especially how your own interests align with Ballet & Books. Going off that, how will you and the chapter members bring Spelman’s values and ethos to the Ballet & Books Chapter?

K: The intersection between Spelman and Ballet & Books’ values has been at the forefront of my mind. Spelman empowers leaders of tomorrow through both sisterhood and service, and through Ballet & Books we hope to do exactly that through both our mentors and mentees. Serving the greater Atlanta community on a regular basis, is nothing new to Spelman students. It's a part of who we are and the leaders we are becoming. Having spent so much time in the community, we understand how essential it is for children to have a creative outlet like dance, and being able to read at or above their grade level.

D: Speaking of bringing the community together, what was the process like setting up the chapter?

K: I have to be honest, the process was difficult, and a lot of work, but totally worth it. I  learned patience and perseverance throughout this process–hearing a lot of no’s and having to advocate for myself and the organization was a major part of the journey. We faced more challenges than I anticipated but I knew I had to keep going in order to establish Ballet & Books on campus. And now as we officially begin our first semester, I’m so glad I stood my ground and stood for what I believed in. 

D: Well, thank you for standing in your beliefs, it’s exactly what we love to see from our chapter leaders! So, what are you most excited about with the new chapter of Ballet & Books and what is a challenge you and your team are ready to face? 

K: I am definitely most excited to start programming. I think our biggest challenge is creating a routine and flow for once we start programming. Spelmanites are known to be very busy women with very busy schedules. So, we are doing our best to work with everyone’s schedules so they can participate in the program as mentors and Eboard members. 

D: Looking ahead, what do you hope to instill in your current and future mentor teams as you all embark on this journey? 

K: Definitely perseverance. You will be faced with a lot of adversity and hardships but you have to keep pushing until you get to your end goal. If you’re passionate about something, you may have a few roadblocks or detours, but ultimately nothing will be able to stop you or dim your light.

D: I know you may have more than one answer to this, but what is a piece of advice you would give to inaugural teams looking to start their own chapter or the teams who are in the first stages of building one? 

K: I would tell them to plan, plan, plan. Having everything written down and organized will make the process much smoother. Before you reach out to the Director of Chapters to start a new chapter, make sure you understand the rules and process your institution has in place to start an organization. If you try to start a chapter prematurely (I may or may not have done this)) you will have way more roadblocks ahead of you. You’ll save yourself (and others) a lot of time and energy if you prepare 

D: Kai, this has been so lovely! Anything you’d like to leave us with? 

K: Thanks for having me! Ballet & Books is such a beautiful organization that I am so lucky to be a part of. If anyone wants to start a chapter, make sure you are dedicated and do it with the utmost grace and care because that is exactly what this organization deserves.