Support for First-Generation Students is featured in the NASPA Center for First-Generation Student Success Blog. Melanie Jones, Director of Academic Diversity Outreach, and Alexandra Henry, an intern, worked together to highlight the support given to First-Gen students at First-Gen Forward Institutions by writing a blog that was recently promoted on the Center’s social media.

Exploratory Program students are given amazing opportunities via the Flash Connections Program which has been recognized as a NASPA Excellence Award - Gold recipient.

Students at Kent State get expert career insight from our Senior Career Advisor Krittika Grau, a member of the ACPA Commission, who has just been awarded the Distinguished Commission Award for 2021. Her commission was recognized for working with the resources it had at its disposal and demonstrating distinguished leadership by providing balanced, innovative and sustainable products, projects and services within or across the commissions and to ACPA.

Assisting Exploratory students with confidently declaring their major is the goal of the Exploratory Program's Major Action Program (MAP). The MAP has just been selected as the recipient of the 2021 NASPA Excellence Bronze Award in the Academic Advising, Careers, Graduate Professional Category. The program connects students with intentional action items based on their career readiness, thus informing how, what, where, and why they may explore majors that align with their strengths and career interests.

Young professionals benefit from personal and professional development through Engage! Cleveland. Katie Kimble assists in this endeavor as a member of the leadership council for Engage! Cleveland.

Assisting Exploratory students with confidently declaring their major by connecting with intentional action items is the goal of MAP. The MAP has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 NACADA Outstanding Advising Program Award. The NACADA Outstanding Advising Program Award recognizes advising programs that are innovative and/or exemplary practices resulting in improvement of academic advising services. The Outstanding Advising Program Award application was judged on the following criteria: innovative quality, creativity, currency, institutional commitment, impact evident by assessment and transferability.

Kent State Exploratory students experience award-winning advising with the Major Action Plan (MAP): Start to Finish Program. This program, which recently received the NASPA Region IV-East Innovative Program Award, uses innovative advising strategies to assist students in declaring their major.

Transfer students find their home at Kent State, feel supported and graduate as Golden Flashes with the help of Barb Miller-Harris who has been awarded the Tom Vandermeulen Award. Her contributions have enhanced relationships among people of diverse cultures, ethnic groups, first-generation students and students with special needs.

Students at Kent State are provided amazing Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders in various courses. Our SI Leaders Mark Abunda, Torrance Gaskins, and Ben Rininger from the Academic Success Center recently led a Fresh Perspectives Webinar Series Session entitled "Using SI Techniques to Develop Fellow SI Leaders", hosted by the International Center for Supplemental Instruction. At the session, they facilitated collaborative discussion and activities across institutions to develop SI Leaders' and SI Mentors' skills.

When Krittika Grau is not guiding our Flashes to career success, she spends her time serving on the American College Personnel Association Commission for Career Services Directorate Board, committed to the future success of college students.