Annika Dudik, a third year Honors College student from Geneva, Ohio, continues to excel and grow throughout her time and experiences at Kent State. And if it were not for the May 4 Scholarship Award she received as an incoming freshman in the Honors College, her story may have turned out quite differently. As the case is with many college students, Annika's decision of attending college was based on her family's financial assistance, which was already stretched supporting Annika's older sibling, who was already attending college.
Annika says that as a high school senior deciding on college, many other Ohio-based universities, such as Bowling Green and Wright State, were also on her list of potential universities to attend, along with Kent State. Annika explains that her college decision was made based on the financial support she received, and Kent State checked all the boxes.
As a recipient of the May 4 Scholarship, the pressure of supporting two college students at one time was lifted from Annika's family. As a result of this financial assistance, Annika made the decision to attend Kent State and is glad she did, stating, "I love the environment here!" Annika has resided in the Honors College Living-Learning Community all three years she has attended. She says that, "Honors is home," and that she is very grateful to all of the generous donors who have made her college experience possible.
With financial challenges no longer a concern, Annika was able to begin her freshman year at Kent State and was accepted into the Honors Leadership Academy, a program for first-year students in the Honors College. She notes that this allowed her to meet classmates and transition to college life, along with developing skills and experiences needed for a role she later took on as a Supplemental Instruction leader, trainer and mentor for her General Chemistry I course. She is now doing the same for an Elements of Genetics course, along with mentoring and training new SI Leaders.
She has also become involved with Scientista, a Kent State chapter dedicated to providing female students at Kent who are interested in STEM fields with the opportunity to receive campus-related advice, news, articles and more.
This spring 2022 semester, Annika has begun working in Dr. Jefferson's lab, as she assists a graduate student with running water tank flume experiments to test how different objects move down streams. Through her experience of compiling data in the lab, she decided to research a similar project for the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and just recently submitted her abstract proposal.
As an Honors College student, Annika explains that her semesterly meetings with her Honors College advisor are very helpful to plan future class schedules, check in on job opportunities and discuss options for graduate school.
As graduation approaches in 2023, Annika looks forward becoming part of the Kent State Legacies, as both of her parents are proud graduates of Kent State as well.