Impact Stories
Your Gift Causes an Effect that Reaches Far Beyond Kent State
At Kent State University, what sets us apart is how we come together: to cause discoveries, achievements, sensations and breakthroughs that change the world. When you give through Kent State to an area that matters personally to you, your support becomes a long-term investment in curing diseases, advancing sustainable technologies, enriching vibrant arts communities and ensuring the future of a skilled workforce ready to impact society.
Gifts made through Kent State support scholarships and programs that allow students to pursue their dreams and enter careers that shape our world. With more than 1,100 donor-funded scholarships and programs supported each year, every gift causes an effect – for both the donor and the recipient.
Donors choose exactly where they want their contributions to go. Each and every gift made through Kent State has an impact, no matter the size.
Read on to learn about the effect our generous donors have on our Kent State community and beyond.
John Zabrucky, ’71, MFA ’78
John Zabrucky, ’71, MFA ’78, never planned to shape sci-fi history - but a chance encounter in Los Angeles changed everything.
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Courtney Gumpf, ’07
Courtney Gumpf, ’07, found her passion at Kent State University, where she built lasting connections and gained valuable experience through leadership in Greek life and internships in both Pittsburgh and New York City.
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Legacies Change Lives: Marissa Baker
The compassion, empathy and care nurses showed Marissa Baker when her mother suddenly passed led her to pursue a career in nursing.“The nurses helped me immensely during the hardest time in my life, and I will never forget the way they cared for me,” Marissa said. “I knew I…
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Kent State University Flashes Give Back Week: Serving Communities, Supporting Students and Showing Gratitude
From April 21-26, Golden Flashes came together in remarkable ways to make an impact during Flashes Give Back Week, a weeklong initiative celebrating all the ways Flashes give back.Join InAlumni and friends volunteered where it mattered most - at Kent State University and in…
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Legacies Change Lives: Marissa Baker
The compassion, empathy and care nurses showed Marissa Baker when her mother suddenly passed led her to pursue a career in nursing.“The nurses helped me immensely during the hardest time in my life, and I will never forget the way they cared for me,” Marissa said. “I knew I…
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Opening Doors for Future Nurses
“When I was a student, I was burning the candle at both ends. I was going to school and working full time. I want to make sure students don’t have to go through what I did.”
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Helping Others Realize Their Potential
When Terrence J. “Chip” Bahn, ’75, M.Ed. ’77, Ed.D., was a senior at Admiral King High School in Lorain, Ohio, he wanted to attend Kent State University after graduation, but he wasn’t ready. His counselor encouraged him to start at the local community college. As a first-…
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Silas Ashley ’74
An Unexpected Journey from Steel Worker to Champion of Black Students and Alumni at Kent State
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John and Fonda Elliot Create New Scholarship Program With $1 Million Gift to Kent State
John Elliot, a 1970 Kent State University graduate, and his wife, Fonda, have created The Elliot Scholars program at Kent State with a $1 million donation. This new scholarship program will provide support to first-generation students of any major who require financial support…
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John and Fonda Elliot Receive Honorary Degrees for Their Extraordinary Contributions
On Saturday, Dec. 14, both John and Fonda received their Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the healthcare field and to Kent State.
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