Jordan Wilkins is a first-generation college graduate and a 2018 alumnus of Kent State University. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Jordan first came to Kent State through the S.T.A.R.S. Program during the summer of 2013. If you ask him, Jordan will tell you that participating in the program allowed him to step out of his comfort zone, succeed academically, identify and explore his cultural heritage as an African-American man, and get acclimated to the college environment. He credits his involvement in S.T.A.R.S. as part of the reason he became involved with Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., The Male Empowerment Network (MEN), TRIO Student Support Services, and Kupita Transiciones.
As an SSS program student, Jordan also worked as a Peer Mentor, helping other first-generation and underrepresented students transition to college and achieve success. Out of all his experiences at Kent State, Jordan says serving as a Peer Mentor was one of the most fulfilling and rewarding ones, foreshadowing his current career. Upon graduating in 2018 with his Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Pan-African Studies, Jordan accepted a position with Inspiring Minds, an organization dedicated to serving students in grades 3-12 through after-school and summer programming.
In his current role as Transition Coordinator, he supports students as they transition out of high school into adulthood, whether that next step is into the workforce, the military, a 2-year community college, or a 4-year university. Jordan credits the faculty, staff, SSS program, and the Student Multicultural Center as being his inspiration and motivation while at Kent State, much like we credit him being an inspiration to so many other Kent State students and alumni.
