Kent State University Geauga Campus is being recognized as the 2019 recipient of the Geauga Growth Partnership’s Frank Samuel Distinguished Service Award for “relentless determination, diligence and dedication” and for making “significant contributions to enhance the value, quality, effectiveness, and stature of the Geauga Growth Partnership.” 

Named for GGP’s founding president, this annual award recognizes prolonged service and outstanding achievement by a GGP member or organization which embodies the following:

Extra help is here for struggling students who usually slip through the cracks and face uncertain futures after their elementary years. Rural students, in particular, face generational poverty, lack of role models, and insufficient academic preparation for success in college or at work. These patterns are evident at the Kent State regional campuses where 81 percent of students receive financial aid, and most require remediation to bring their academic skills up to college-level standards.

Sarah Brugmann is a self-described “people person” from Mantua who has always wanted to be a nurse. Her own mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) even before Sarah was born. Since Sarah — along with her dad and sister — has been a caregiver for her mother for the past 15 years, this has greatly influenced her decision to pursue a future in nursing.

An excellent education is a major building block for a better future and a great career. But a college degree is only part of the puzzle. A great resume, online access to job opportunities, and effective interviewing skills all help students to leverage their academic strengths and previous work experiences to land that dream job.

The nursing program at Kent State University’s Geauga campus needs community support to continue producing top-trained nurses for understaffed medical facilities throughout northeast Ohio.