Introducing Melissa:
Meet Melissa Williams, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and currently in her junior year at Kent State. She is pursuing a degree in
zoology with a minor in psychology, while actively participating in the Kent State biology club, and is a member of the organization Paws for a Cause. Driven by her passion for working with animals, Melissa is building meaningful experiences both inside and outside the classroom. She has studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and is currently preparing for another international opportunity in South Africa.
The Path to Choosing Kent State:
Looking for a university to attend can be intimidating to anyone, especially when your academic goals are specific to one area of study. Having a supportive community and unique academic experience are factors that shape future success after graduation.
When discussing what guided her decision to attend Kent State, Melissa explains, “I'd say the biggest thing that influenced choosing Kent was the size in the community. It's not too big or too small, and it's just a really picturesque, nice little college town that's only a walk away from downtown. And then getting into the Honors College was also a big factor because I felt like it would help me at Kent and I didn't see anything similar at the other schools I applied to.”
Having an Honors Experience at Kent:
One of the Kent State Honor’s College key principles is the responsibility to provide academic work that offers intellectual challenges that demand the best efforts of students. It is part of a long tradition of promoting excellence and academically talented students. Melissa Williams exceeds these standards with strong academics and an interest as an active member of the Kent State and Honors College community.
“The Honors College has changed the way I go about my classes academically.
With honors courses, it gives me the opportunity to try harder and it feels good knowing I pushed myself in school and it makes me feel like I can do harder things in the future in the job field too.”
Life on Campus:
Melissa is an active member of the Kent State community; she currently serves as the president of Paws for a Cause while using her love for animals to help others. “Paws for a Cause brings people together through dogs. People always tell me how much they miss their dogs and how much they love seeing ours. All the work we do is for a good cause. Hopefully they'll be amazing service dogs one day and help children and veterans who need them. With the on-campus community, I have met so many of my friends through Paws for a Cause and I'm just so happy I get to know them and I never would have without it.” Melissa’s true dedication to the Paws for a Cause effort is reflected in her extra time spent with her own service dog in training, Lola. “...She’s just made my life so much better,” exclaims Melissa.
Working with Animals in the Future:
During her time at Kent State, Melissa has already capitalized on various opportunities to work with animals. Apart from Paws for a Cause, she has integrated experiences to work with animals into her busy schedule, such as her internship with the Pittsburgh Zoo.
“My experience at the zoo was amazing. I got to work hands-on with the care and training of marine mammals. It gave me a direct path and insight into what my job would be because I was getting to do everything I would do in the real world, but on a lesser level. I really enjoyed the experience overall. It has influenced my academic path by reinforcing what I want to do, and it made me more interested in taking certain courses related to animal training, animal behavior, and basic learning.”
In addition to her internship, Melissa is completing an honors project in her ornithology class to further expand her experience with animals. “I'm doing an honors project agreement right now for my ornithology class, where I get to help out in a more in-depth way. There's an on-campus aviary. So, I'm doing a project with my professor working on food preference in those birds. It really has given me the opportunity to do more in my classes and increase my involvement and it's made me interested in topics I never really thought of before.”
About the Honors College:
The Kent State University Honors College is part of a long tradition of promoting academically talented students with a unique academic experience. The Kent State University Honors College is an institutional member of the National Collegiate Honors Council and the Mid-East Honors Association. To learn more about the Honors College, visit the Honors College website.
HEADER PHOTO CAPTION: Melissa Williams posing next to a sea lion at the Pittsburgh Zoo.
Media Contact: Stephanie Moskal, smoskal@kent.edu, 330-672-2312