In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, an anonymous KSU MPH alumna had the foresight to create an endowed "Future Public Health Leaders Scholarship", supporting students in the combined program. This scholarship, which will be given annually to combined students in the College of Public Health, will help reduce the cost of tuition. The Giving Tuesday 2020 campaign featured the new fund, and many generous donors stepped up to provide additional support, allowing the fund to distribute scholarships in its first year.
The college is pleased to announce the 2021-2022 recipients of the Future Public Health Leaders Scholarship. They are:
Megan French
Megan is a junior public health major with a concentration in clinical trials research and is also pursuing a Master of Science in clinical epidemiology. When asked why Megan pursued a combined program opportunity she stated, "When I came to Kent State I didn't know what I wanted to do, however, I had a passion for helping people and health. When I learned what public health was I discovered a fire inside of me that I never knew about before. Public health is a deep passion of mine. The field of public health is fascinating and can apply to so much in life. I applied to the combined program to pursue my passion, educate myself about public health, and help others. Doing what you love in life is a necessity to living a happy and healthy life and is the underlying motivation of why I applied to the combined program."
Jenna Molinari
Jenna is a senior public health major with a concentration in clinical trials research and is pursuing a Master of Public Health in epidemiology. When asked why Jenna pursued a combined program opportunity, she stated, "I am extremely passionate about continuing to expand my knowledge, especially in the field of public health. When I was applying to Kent, I knew that their College of Public Health was listed as one of the best in the country ; when I came to Kent freshman year, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in epidemiology. I love learning about disease, any and all kinds! However, I knew that graduate school was necessary in order to pursue this career and the thought of that is always daunting. Once I found out about Kent's combined program, I immediately contacted my advisor to get more information about application deadlines and admission requirements. I was motivated to apply for this program because I am eager to get out into the field of public health as soon as possible. When I saw that this opportunity was available, I was determined to see how soon I could be accepted and start the process. As I progress throughout my college career, I become more and more ready to get out there and use my knowledge to benefit the community around me. I learn about countless subgroups each day that could benefit from public health professionals, and I am thrilled at the thought of being in one of those positions soon! The combined program has done so much more for my college experience than I could have ever asked for, and I am excited to graduate and apply my education to the field of epidemiology".
To learn more about creating an endowed scholarship at the College of Public Health, please contact Tracy Schlemmer at 330.672.6512.
About the combined pathways
The College of Public Health continues to contribute to the public health workforce in Ohio and nationally. With programs offered on-ground, online, or in an executive format, the College of Public Health offers programs that meet the varied needs of our diverse student body.
Kent State University allows highly qualified students to gain early admission into a graduate program. This option, called a combined program, can reduce the time to complete the graduate degree and overall degree cost by allowing students to use graduate-level coursework to apply to the bachelor's degree requirements. Since 2016 the college has had more than 50 students participate in this degree path.
Undergraduate students interested in learning more about the combined degree program should contact Jennifer Miller at jlnoble@kent.edu.