Joe French has spent more than three decades helping children believe that their circumstances do not define their future. Whether as an elementary school teacher, nonprofit executive, behavioral health leader or, today, president of Stark County Catholic Schools, French always centered his career on a simple message: A child’s today does not determine their tomorrow. That philosophy, he said, took root at Kent State University at Stark. “Kent State Stark gave me far more than a degree,” French said. “It gave me a foundation for how I approach leadership, service and lifelong le...

.responsive-video { width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; } .responsive-video iframe { display: block; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0; }   Joy is stitched into everything Leah Thompkins creates – by design.   The Kent State University fashion design major and costume design minor describes her personal style as “anything that six-year-old me would think is really cool.” Her playful perspective comes to life through her work: from a jacket that tells the story of two cats meeting over the phone to a skirt designed to look...