Kayla August is a doctoral candidate at the Gloria L. and Charles I. Cloug School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology and Education with a focus on preaching, particularly preaching from the lay perspective.

Practicing what she preaches, Kayla steps out of the margins to preach as a layperson in a variety of places and communities, recently traveling and preaching as part of a racial reconciliation Civil Rights Pilgrimage with Future Church, speaking at Boston College’s Catholic Women Do Preach Prayer Service in Support of Women’s Voices in the Church, and featured as the first woman on an episode of America Magazine's Podcast Preach.

Her work as a lay leader also involves contributing a strong lay voice as a member of the Lyke Conference Board, an annual Black Catholic Liturgical conference, and a core member of FADICA’s Black Catholic Flourishing Committee.

She was recently awarded a doctoral fellowship from the Forum for Theological Exploration for the 2025-2026 academic year. Her interest in the formation of voice is rooted in her experiences with young adults as a University Ministry Intern at Loyola University of New Orleans, her professional work as the Assistant Director of Evangelization in the University of Notre Dame’s Campus Ministry department as well as the Rector of Lyons Hall, and her ongoing work as a Resident Minister at Boston College.

She desires to use preaching to impact religious education by inspiring Catholics of all ages to deepen their encounters with scripture, tradition, and God, playing an active role in their daily lives.