Student Life
National First-Generation College Celebration is on Nov. 8, and Kent State is hosting a weeklong celebration filled with campus-wide activities and learning opportunities to recognize students who will be the first in their family to graduate with a four-year degree.
For senior mechatronics engineering major Delonte Goodman, the road to higher education was not the easiest. But as a high school student who caught the eye of NASA and can understand electrical and mechanical processes in everyday ATM transactions, he has bravely paved his way as a successful first-generation college student at Kent State University.
Julia Hallgren didn’t know the student in front of her. She didn’t need to. “The student closed the door after they said they felt suicidal, (so) I knew I had to do something,” Hallgren said.
For its fourth consecutive year, the Kent State University Honors College is hosting “Career Conversations,” a series of alumni speaking events which take place throughout the fall semester.
Last year Kent State faculty and staff surprised first-year students with check-in phone calls for The Flashes Take Care of Flashes call campaign. The outcome was a huge success and has driven the university to host another campaign this fall. It is scheduled to run from Nov. 2-12, but the university needs many faculty and staff volunteers to make it possible to call 4,000 students. Volunteers are encouraged to register by Wednesday, Oct. 27.
Kent Skates will be a new, outdoor ice skating rink that will be free and open to the public. It will be open from Nov. 20 through Feb. 28. Use of the rink will be free, along with free skate rental.
As once stated by educational Pioneer and famous American Philosopher John Dewey, all that we learn is derived from experience. Kent State continues to foster innovation and promote the development of hands-on learning through various collaborative efforts focused on building experience and training. Among the opportunities offered through the university, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program provides undergraduate students with the chance to engage in an intensive research project during the summer break.
Fashion merchandising alumna Emilie Oxel O'Leary, '93, is the CEO of Sunshine Solar, a mechanical installation company that provides solar power to major brands such as Target, L'Oreal and Amazon. Sunshine Solar’s first solar project was installing a solar carport for the Atlanta Falcons stadium. Since then, the company has installed solar panels to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Verizon and FedEx whether it be with carport tops, rooftops or solar fields.
“An American Sunrise” by Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, the first Native American poet laureate of the United States, will be the focal point as Kent State kicks off the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read Northeast Ohio community reading program. The kickoff event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 12, beginning promptly at 7 p.m. in the Kiva. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is appreciated.
The Rainbow Run is one of most important fundraising events of the year for the university's LGBTQ+ Emergency Fund, available to assist any LGBTQ+ identifying Kent State student in financial crisis. The sixth annual Rainbow Run “fun run” will take place on Friday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. on Risman Plaza. Find out more about why Ken Ditlevson, director of the Kent State’s LGBTQ+ Center, describes the fund as a vital safety net and a lifeline for students who are struggling financially.