First Gen
Daring to Dream Again
My name is Honey Curry, and I'm pursuing my Associate of Science at Kent State University Ashtabula, graduating in May of 2026. For a long time, I believed college wasn't meant for someone like me. I grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, right off Lake Erie. A low-income area where opportunities rarely a…
Admissions
Like Mother, Like Daughter: Mom and Daughter Duo Cross the Stage Together
Elisa Grecar and her daughter Maddie McGee made a meaningful memory this May when they graduated together from Kent State University – Grecar with a degree in psychology and McGee with a degree in zoology.
Kent State Today
Making the Most of Every Opportunity
My name is Lilly Kensicki, and I am a first-generation, third-year mechatronics engineering technology major with a minor in sustainability, graduating in 2026. My senior year of high school, I was deciding between two schools. They both had the program I was interested in, and the price point …
Admissions
Researching Planetary Exploration – as a Freshman
My name is Andrew Pertz, I am an aerospace engineering student with a minor in applied mathematics in the Honors College. In a lot of ways, I feel like Kent State found me. As a first-generation college student, the process of applying and finding schools was very overwhelming. I also knew that…
Admissions
The Bridges Summer Experience
Hi! My name is Amaya Kender and I am a senior majoring in Exercise Science with a concentration in physical therapy, class of 2023. Coming into college, I was experiencing excitement, anxiety, nervousness, yet courage. I was ready to take on a new chapter in my life to build upon my future. However,…
Admissions
First-Generation Students Celebrated in ‘I AM FIRST Week’
Kent State University will celebrate its first-generation students this week with a series of events and programs to spotlight and encourage current students who will be the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Kent State Today
Looking Back on Four Years
As I finish out my last year at Kent State, I am reflecting on my time at the place I called home for the past four years. On May 14th, 2022, I, Mai-Ling Francis (she/her) earned my Bachelor of Arts in English and am an official alum of Kent State University. I am leaving with both my bachelor'…
Admissions
First Generation College Graduate Instructs Honors Course
Freshman Honors Colloquium professor Bill Morris is a first generation college graduate currently preparing to defend his dissertation at Kent State. Morris grew up in a small, rural area in California. He initially did not plan on attending college, but ended up being the first in his family…
Honors College