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A senior marketing major with a concentration in digital marketing and analytics and a minor in communication,
Kayleen Yacykis the perfect representation of what it means to excel in everything she does. Since the moment she stepped foot on campus her freshman year at UConn, Kayleen has taken advantage of every opportunity. This is why she is more than deserving of the prestigious recognition as a
2025 Student Hall of Fame Fellow.
Business-minded and driven, Kayleen began her college career as a member of the Business Connections Learning Community (BCLC), where she honed her networking skills and built lifelong friendships. During the summer of her sophomore year, she traveled with the BCLC to Sweden and Denmark to study sustainable and international business. She credits these experiences, along with the guidance of the UConn School of Business, as key factors in securing two internships: one with UConn Athletics as an Athletic Marketing Intern, and another with Rita’s Italian Ice as a Marketing Intern.
Kayleen took everything she learned and gave back. She became a Teaching Assistant for the Career Development in Business course (BUSN 3005), where she finds it “especially rewarding to help others grow professionally and gain confidence in their job search.”
But her impact doesn’t stop with UConn students. Kayleen’s favorite quote is, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” She lives by this every day. As an assistant coach for the Special Olympics, she brings light and energy to the athletes while also learning from their strength and joy. “Building these connections and seeing the bonds I develop with the athletes and their families is so rewarding, especially when they accomplish something they once thought impossible.”
Raised in a family of educators, her father a marketing teacher and her mother a lifelong special education teacher, Kayleen witnessed firsthand the power of meaningful work. Inspired by them, she volunteers at the Windham Heights After School Program, mentoring elementary students and encouraging them to dream big. She also works as a Substitute Paraeducator at Mansfield Elementary School, bringing warmth and dedication into every classroom she enters.
Kayleen is the epitome of an accomplished student. But what truly sets her apart is not just her resume; it’s the heart, hustle, and humanity she brings to everything she touches.
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