Student Leader of the Month

MICHELE CRISS

Senior

Education

President Delta Gamma Sorority, Flashguide, Student Success Leader, Provost Leadership Academy Trainer, mem

Her nominator, Thomas Niepsuj, said this about Michele: “Michele is an awesome individual and if you ask anyone in Fraternity or Sorority Life or Student Success Programs it is apparent. Though her influence reaches far past those two sectors of her life. She is an all-star that puts so much of herself into anything she does. She is the ideal Kent State student and with just one interaction with her it is apparent why I give her that title.”

AARON KESSLER 
Graduate Student
Public Health

Aaron’s nominator, Katie Matisse said this about him:

“Aaron has worked to keep both Pride and TransFusion engaging and relevant to the general membership and campus community. Aaron has helped many students connect with and learn course material through his role as an SI leader. He has created many programs and initiatives (and works to bring in a public health perspective to a lot of what he does) through the LGBTQ+ Center to start meaningful conversations within the community. For the Great Place Initiative, Aaron is working on writing a grant that will hopefully help us secure a full-time position to help address basic needs across campus. Overall, Aaron engages and commits to each leadership position he takes on. He's passionate about creating a kinder, healthier, and more inclusive world and uses these positions as ways to do it.”

CAROLINE LUKEHART
Senior
Nursing major, Spanish minor

Her nominator, Christine Nelson, said this about her: “I believe Caroline is deserving of this award because she encompasses all three of the sections of this model. With community, she’s constantly building community within her student organization involvements, local community in Aurora and for the nation through International Justice Mission (a student organization that focuses on bringing awareness to sex/human trafficking and how to help end it). She has donated her time in her community by making care bags for those who need them. She is constantly checking in on the health and well being of her classmates and the members of student organizations she is a part of.

Inter-personally, I have witnessed Caroline firsthand lead the FAB team through trainings, mediation, meetings, problem-solving and more. She has made a conscious effort to bring in diversity and inclusion trainings to FAB, as well as make connections with FAB and COSO (the commuter student organization in CSI that’s office is next to FAB). She is always asking questions to help make sure our cultural events are appropriate, thoughtful, and respectful to the culture being represented. Intra-personally, Caroline shows dedication to her major, minor and dreams. She engages in discussions with people in CSI about her professional goals, she contacts the right people to get information about graduate programs or otherwise, and therefore inspires other students in the office to do the same. She takes constructive criticism very well, and is always wanting to do the best of her ability for all of her involvements.

Overall, I believe Caroline is an outstanding student leader at Kent State in many unique areas, and has made a positive impact on her local community and the Kent community.”

David Green
Sophomore
Construction Management 

David’s nominator, Thomas Niepsuj, said this about him: I have seen David grow so much in the past year and a half. When I first met David he was very quiet and timid. Though since joining our fraternity, I have seen him grow into an amazing leader. Even though he wasn’t the most outgoing member, he made himself vulnerable and ran for Vice President of Recruitment. This position is very demanding and is usually given to the social butterfly of the chapter that can talk to anyone, so he was very nervous when giving his speech. However, his speech was probably the best I have ever heard in someone running for a leadership position. We needed a strong leader in this position, and David looked into himself, saw where he struggled and decided to challenge himself with one of the most important roles of our chapter. And oh boy did this kid deliver! He managed to recruit our largest and, if I may say, the best class of men in our chapter's history. David wasn’t always the most social, but I think he was self-aware of this and knew that he wanted to challenge himself and grow. This is so important in a leader, to see where you struggle, and to put yourself in a vulnerable spot to actually challenge yourself. I have seen so many student leaders on campus, that are already social or already good at a position run for something and get it and it is the same thing every time. But seldom do we see students whom may not have been a shoe-in, win an election, be very successful, and grow so much in the process.

This is what real leadership looks like. He brought in so many people in to our chapter and created an amazing group dynamic and our community is so strong because of it. He was even re-elected for another year in this position, and our entire chapter unanimously voted him in before he even had the chance to give his election speech. He is an all-star and even though he does not have 50 leadership positions representing hundreds of students, the impact he is creating in his community is amazing and the growth out of him is something I think all students can take something from. He is a really deserving student and a true testament that any student, no matter how involved, can be a student leader, challenge themselves, and grow into an amazing leader on campus.