Inspiring Stories
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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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“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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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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Charlotte L. “Char” Hughes, ’63, and Janette M. Aten, ’63, met while doing their laundry in Terrace Hall, where they both lived as students at Kent State University. Soon, they were inseparable. “Our time at Kent State was very enjoyable,” Char remembered. “We liked our…
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Advocacy is at the heart of the work Ken Ditlevson, ’95, M.Ed. ’98, does at Kent State University as the director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Plus (LGBTQ+) Center.
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Kent State University has held a special place in the hearts of Lynda Grieves and her husband George “Bill” Grieves Jr., ’58, who passed away in 2019. In 1957, Lynda’s mother was taking continuing education courses at Kent State for work, so Lynda decided to take a class as well…
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Hard work and discipline are a driving force for Rollie Layfield, ’64, and they have served him well throughout his life and his career in business. He credits both his degree program in business administration and his time in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)…
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The moment Dylan Cahill stepped foot on the Kent Campus, he knew that Kent State University was the place for him. Born and raised in Texas, Dylan visited Northeast Ohio for family gatherings and always felt a connection.
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Katie Carpenter, ’23, has a passion for photography, and The Wallace J. Hagedorn Scholarship has helped her hone these skills and express her creativity. This competitive photography scholarship supports student costs and helps them pursue out-of-classroom experiences to develop…
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“I look at Kent State as a family member – everyone collectively – that I am connected to and plan to be for as long as I possibly can. I have family members that I want to take care of, and I want to do the same for Kent State.”
Scolin MacLean’s, ’90, passion for Kent State…