Kevin Norton — KPU Alumni Highlight
Every month in the KPU Alumni Newsletter we will be highlighting an alum from KPU’s 52 years of student staff. If you are interested in being highlighted, email noah.burke@ausg.org .
An SIS ’21 graduate and Director of KPU from 2019–2020, Kevin talks about his time in KPU.
What was your favorite event?
My favorite event was also the one I worked the hardest on — former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Dr. Philip Zelikow. I started working on bringing her when I was a staff member my sophomore year, and right as the event was being confirmed, I was becoming director. It was one of the best learning experiences I ever had, and am happy that so many attendees were able to enjoy the event. For me, watching AU students thoughtfully engage with the Secretary is what it’s all about and what made it so worth it.
Do you have a favorite staff memory from KPU?
I’ve never disclosed what happened to the JFK cardboard, and I’m not quite ready to do so yet, so I’ll have to go with another memory. On the whole, I always treasured post-event meals and hangouts. There’s nothing better than, with all your friends on the KPU team, creating a unique event experience for your fellow AU students to interact with someone highly admirable or thought provoking, and then relaxing with them over some greasy food.
If you were still on staff what speaker would you bring to campus?
Amrutha and the team have done an amazing job and deserves to be seriously commended for continuing the important work of KPU in less than ideal circumstances. They’ve created so many poignant, essential conversations. One area of speakers I would like to hear from are people who lost elections this 2020 cycle. While we of course want to hear from the duly elected, I find conversations with former office holders to be much more honest and insightful into the current state of politics.
How did KPU advance/aid in your professional life?
I’m not sure that there’s another organization out there that provides its staff members with such breadth of experience. Of course, there’s the tangible skills — event production, writing formal letters, and crafting a communications strategy — but more importantly, KPU taught me how to think on my feet, roll with the punches, navigate a bureaucracy to get a job done, and exercise creative problem solving. These are skills that you just can’t get in most D.C. internships or early jobs.
If you could give advice to current students in KPU what would you say?
Take the work seriously, but have fun. Looking back, some of my best memories have been from KPU. I wish I enjoyed some of those moments a little more.
What skills from KPU do you still use today?
KPU taught me how to be a self-starter and charge ahead with my work items, because if I’m not proactive, I’ll never advance my or my organization’s business. The ability to craft a strategy to get your job done without anyone’s permission is an evergreen skill.
