Picture it, 20 years in the future, you’re sitting in a packed movie theatre. Scents of popcorn and perfume swirl throughout the room. The room goes dark, hushed excitement fills the theatre and all of a sudden “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH LET THE LIGHT IN!” The screen displays Muscatine’s very own Kaitlyn Ford singing Let The Light In by Lana Del Ray in an interview recorded for this very article. When asked what songs would be in her biopic Kaitlyn settled on the artists Mac Miller, Tame Impala, and Metallica but she simply could not contain her excitement when the song Let The Light In came to mind.A movie about Kaitlyn Ford would encapsulate her brutal honesty, dry humor, constant singing or dancing, and her ability to make a person feel so safe and cared for. Kaitlyn Ford is currently a Junior at Muscatine High School, she is involved in The Auroran, Speech and Debate, and Key Club.  In addition to her extracurriculars, Kaitlyn is also a manager at Peking in Muscatine.  She humbly said,

“One thing that sets me apart from others is that I was made a manager at 16 so I’m just better.”

This dry humor and authenticity are some of Kaitlyn’s core traits. Another thing that sets Kaitlyn apart from others is her unapologetic honesty. When asked if she’s ever experienced any difficulties because of her bluntness, she responded,

“I have always been like this and it sometimes can be difficult. I have a tendency to leave out people’s feelings…  Sometimes I do wish I kept some of the words in… I don’t ever mean anything bad towards someone but sometimes it just sounds that way.”

Kaitlyn also mentioned that she especially hates hurting the people she loves. The most important people to Kaitlyn are her 2 sisters, and her 2 best friends, Ninel and Mckenzie. Kaitlyn affirmed

“I think those people truly help me in life and push me to become a better person.”

While not a person, the most important living thing in Kaitlyn’s life is her cat, Roman. When asked about Roman, she immediately lit up and began to show me a myriad of photos of him.  She even wears a necklace with his name on it. Kaitlyn feels most herself when she is alone in her room with her cat.

“Me and [Roman] are best friends, he follows me everywhere. He definitely knows when something is up with me because he lays on different spots depending on how I’m feeling. If he knows I’m sad he’ll lay right on top of me, if he knows I’m happy he’ll lay right next to me… He’s my favorite little boy.”

In addition to spending time with Roman, Kaitlyn also loves to simply sit outside and enjoy nature. This may be surprising to some since it seems like a rather calming activity and Kaitlyn is a high-energy person, but this is the exact reason she enjoys this activity.

“It makes me realize that I need to calm down and that if the seasons change, so will you, and that’s okay. I think it’s a reminder that everything’s okay.”

From her incredible sense of humor to her unfaltering authenticity, Kaitlyn Ford is a both wonderful person and a staff member that The Auroran Today is immensely grateful for.

Be on the lookout for Kaitlyn’s fantastic articles this year right here on the Auroran Today website!