Student Life

Postcard picture of the Kent State Normal College's Student Body in 1922

What were the most common first names among Kent State students 100 years ago?  And what were the names announced most often at the commencement ceremonies of 2022? 

​​Flash Connections: Community Impact and Social Change Flash Connections experience in Columbus, Ohio, 2018.

Choosing a career path at age 18 can be overwhelming for some students. As a part of Kent State's University College’s Exploratory Program, Flash Connections are enhanced sections of the required First Year Experience course created especially for Exploratory students. The Flash Connections program is designed to help students considering multiple majors find a community while discovering their major. This program’s exemplary work with undecided students was recently recognized, receiving awards from the Global Community for Academic Advising.

Deanne Parr and Family

Deanne Parr never gave up on her dream of earning a degree, which included overcoming the many challenges of being a teen mother.

Group of students pose with the WW I cannon on campus.

From 1921 to 1942, a WWI-vintage cannon stood on a knoll overlooking Rockwell Hall, then home to the University Library. It was loaned by the U.S. War Department to the Kent American Legion Post 496, which intended to present it to the city of Kent. When city officials could not decide on a suitable location, the cannon found a home on the campus of Kent State Normal College. 

Members of Kent State University’s LGBTQ+ community participate in the university’s 2021 Homecoming Parade.

For a third consecutive year, Kent State University has been selected as one the nation’s top universities for LGBTQ+ students for creating a safe, welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff, according to Campus Pride, a leading resource for LGBTQ+ leadership development, diversity inclusion and advocacy within higher education.

Members of the Class of 2026 Light Up Convocation at the MAC Center

With a backdrop of strobe lights, rock music and excitement, Kent State President Todd Diacon kicked off the start of the 2022 Fall Semester by encouraging new students to lean on one another during the university's traditional convocation ceremony. 

Dating violence is prevalent among women ages 16-24.

After experiencing dating violence in high school, Rhylee Shepherd turned her pain into a teaching opportunity for her peers through the Know Your Worth project.

Image shows a heart and stethoscope

A Kent State College of Nursing student who graduated Aug. 20 recently was honored by the city of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, along with her sister, for working to save the life of a woman who fell ill while playing volleyball.

Kent State and Mexican university students study over spring break at traditional chinampa farmers in Mexico

Kent State University partnered with Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City for an international, cross-cultural exchange for students to study how sustainable gardening projects aid immigrant populations. 

Members of Undergraduate Student Government accept their award

Kent State's Undergraduate Student Government, the student organization responsible for being the direct line of communication to the administration to make students’ voices heard, was honored with the 2022 Student Government of the Year Award from the Conference on Student Government Associations.