Kate is here for one simple reason, helping people. Her dad isn't glad she left, trying to convince her that there were so many other people who could do the job in attempt to get her to stay in New York. But Kate was far too stubborn to just allow him to decide her life for her. So here she is at the Shatterdome, and she's finally at the age where her dad doesn't get to dictate her life decisions. Her family doesn't need support from her, so she's free to do whatever she'd like.

"The handful of us who stay will be." She hopes. There's something to be said for piloting a Jaeger, and stopping a kaiju in direct combat. But there are entire crews devoted to making the machines run. If she can't be a pilot, she'd settle for making sure the machines don't malfunction. (But she'd much rather be in the pilot seat.)

"Why'd you apply?"