Kai Trump, 19, has shared an emotional account of her first week as a freshman at the University of Miami. In a YouTube vlog, she detailed struggles with leaving home, adjusting to college life, and falling ill.
The daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump began her freshman year late last month. The vlog captured her tearful goodbyes to family and friends before her departure.
"It's just really sad that I have to say goodbye to everyone today," Kai said in the video, visibly upset. "I'm not a very emotional person at all, so this is like really weird for me to cry... I think knowing that I have to say goodbye to everyone tonight really, really sucks."
Upon arriving at her dorm in Miami, Kai admitted she didn't film much of her first day, as she was too emotional after saying goodbye to her loved ones. The vlog documented her busy first week, juggling golf practice, athletic meetings, and classes.
At one point, a friend visited Kai, bringing her food as the student claimed she had not eaten for three days, subsisting mainly on diet soda. The friend brought groceries including fruit, prosciutto, pasta, and bread.
Kai's initial week was further complicated by a diagnosis of strep throat. She returned to her hometown of Jupiter, Florida, for a few days to recover with her mother's care.
"I got sick with Strep on Wednesday, my first week of school," Kai explained in the vlog. "I came all the way back to Jupiter because I was so sick I needed my mom to nurse me back to health."
By the end of the video, she had returned to school and was seen spending time with her fellow golf team members. Kai is the eldest of five children shared by Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife, Vanessa Trump.
Earlier vlogs had shown Kai and her mother shopping for dorm supplies, with Vanessa emphasizing that Kai would be responsible for her own household chores and cleaning.
Kai's adjustment to college comes amid her mother Vanessa's public battle with breast cancer. Vanessa revealed her diagnosis in May and shared in June that she had undergone surgery and was preparing for further treatment.
In a recent interview, Kai reflected on how her mother's illness impacted their family in the weeks leading up to her college departure. "It was emotional, there was a lot of crying in the week leading up [to me leaving for school]," Kai shared. She described the experience as a "blessing in disguise" as it allowed her to spend more time with her mother during treatments, time she would have otherwise spent on the golf course. Kai also provided an update on her mother's health, stating that she is "doing a lot better" now after the initial recovery from treatment.