Kate Kennedy’s First Female President

The Saint sits down with Emma Andersson

Emma, in the middle, with two other Kate Kennedy members, dressed up for the annual Procession

Every Monday, the Kate Kennedy Club (KK) follows its decades-old tradition of gathering to plan its events and initiatives. This year, however, one crucial thing has changed. For the first time, a woman presides over these meetings. Emma Andersson is the first female President of the originally men-only KK. 

The student-run club was founded with the aim of preserving St Andrews’ cherished traditions, and is committed to improving town and gown relations and supporting local charities. In addition to hosting the Opening Ball and the May Ball, it organises the iconic annual Kate Kennedy Procession through town, the Gaudie Pier Walk before May Dip, and curates exhibitions like last year’s Women of St Andrews and this year’s Citizens of St Andrews. They provide physical support to local charities like the Cosmos Centre and have recently achieved the status of a registered charity. The Club opened its doors to women in 2012 after the University severed ties in 2009 because of its antiquated values. 

In 2021, less than a decade after the Club started accepting women, Dutch-Swedish Emma arrived in St Andrews from the Netherlands to study Mathematics and Philosophy. She heard mixed opinions about the Club but, curious to form her own opinions, she applied. “I thought, ‘I’ll see how far I come, and if anything happens that I don’t stand for, then I’ll just quit.’” She smiles thinking back on this. “The opposite happened.” Through the Club’s unique initiatives, Emma fostered a special connection with its members and the town.

Captivated by the Club, in her second year, Emma was appointed Sponsorship Officer and Pro-Keeper, an understudy to the Keeper of the Costumes, who manages over 150 costumes that are worn during the annual procession. A year later, she stepped into the role of Archivist and Keeper of the costumes. She fondly recalls one of her favourite moments: "There was this opera called The Bruce, by a really talented composer from Kazakhstan. He needed costumes and somehow, he found us.” Wearing the Club’s historical costumes, the opera performed all over Scotland.

Three years in, Emma decided to run for President. She was motivated to cultivate “an atmosphere in which everyone felt supported to achieve their goals within the Club and valued for the effort they put in.” Having developed a personal connection to the Procession as Keeper of Costumes, she was also eager to be involved in preparing for the Club’s Centenary Procession celebrations, set to take place on the weekend of April 18, 2026.

When Emma was elected President, “the reaction within the Club was incredibly positive,” says Guy Nichols, second-year Philosophy and Theology student and member of the KK. Emma mentions that KK alumni have also sent supportive emails, which she found encouraging. She continues that she “hopes that the Club’s evolution will foster more collaboration with the University.”

Emma went on to describe what her role entails as President. “On paper, I represent the Club and chair all meetings, but it goes way beyond that,” she says, grinning. Beyond the formal duties, she’s working to cultivate an atmosphere where “everyone feels motivated through a common goal, supported by their peers and valued for their effort”. She shares how it helped the club uphold its aims more effectively, and adds that “incredibly rewarding to see people who were once hesitant to speak are now sharing ideas with confidence”.

Even though she still has several months left in the role before her graduation, Emma recognises the growth she’s already experienced as President. "When I first became President, I was so focused on not being the stereotypical authoritative leader who takes up too much space, that I ended up feeling scared to take up any space at all.” With time, however, she now feels much more confident in her role. 

Emma sees her election as “a part of a longer journey” the Club has been on, one that began when women were first welcomed into the Club in 2012. Though the gender balance within the Club has been approaching equal in recent years, Emma found that in her first year that, “since people were used to seeing men in committee positions, it shaped people’s images of what constituted a good candidate for certain roles within the Club.”

Over time, she has seen this bias against women diminish. Emma points out Tatiana, another current fourth-year, who became the first female Marshall of the Procession in 2022. “She did such an incredible job,” Emma notes. “It widened people's perspectives on what qualities and approaches contribute to success in a role, far beyond gender.” By becoming President, Emma hopes to broaden the scope of what a leader of the KK can look like. 

For the future of the Club, Emma has a clear vision. “Tradition and change are often put on two ends of a spectrum,” she responds, “but the real value of tradition is about uniting people through creating a shared identity. In order to keep doing this and to keep doing this better, the Club must keep evolving.” She is proud of the Club’s progress so far and hopes that it will keep “re-evaluating and improving how it does things.”

​​Before she leaves, Emma mentions “The Kate Kennedy Procession will be held this year on Saturday the 19th of April. Anyone who would like to take part, is more than welcome to sign up!”

Photo credit: Emma Andersson