Kent State Works
From Graphic Design to Groundbreaking Research
Laurie Ann Moennich, Ph.D., didn't arrive at Kent State University planning to change healthcare. She came to study graphic design. But Kent State had a way of opening doors she didn't even know existed.
How a Non-Traditional Student Became Portage County's Top Health Official
When Becky Lehman walked into her first class at Kent State University, she was in her 30s, raising kids and working at an embroidery shop in nearby Mogadore, Ohio. Today, she is the health commissioner for the Portage County Health District – a career milestone she credits directly to the degrees she earned close to home at Kent State.
From Kent State to KeyBank
When Cameren Hicks graduated from Kent State University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and a minor in finance, he knew he wanted to build a career rooted in numbers, problem-solving and analysis. Today, Hicks is a fraud modeling and analytics lead associate at KeyBank, where he helps protect customers and the company against fraudulent credit and debit card activity.
From Undecided to Unstoppable
Kent State University graduate Emma Sherrie, '09, always had a feeling she would study anthropology, but still she took the time to check out all the other options available before finally settling on her original plan. Kent State’s Exploratory Program, which helps undecided students sample different disciplines before committing to a major, was a key part of Sherrie’s experience, and the main reason she chose Kent State in the first place.
How Art Education Shapes Students for Life
Solon High School art educator Jennifer Thompson, MA ’03, BA ’95, credits Kent State with teaching her that art education isn't just about creating — it's about building critical thinking, empathy and self-expression skills that students carry into every career.
Preparing Behavioral Health Leaders for a Growing Workforce Need
As demand for behavioral health professionals continues to rise across Ohio and the nation, Kent State University is preparing graduates to not just enter the field right away, but to advance, lead and make a lasting impact in their communities. For three Kent State alumni — Cassandra Galloway, Victoria Giegerich and Jason Joyce — their paths may differ slightly, but their stories illustrate how Kent State connects education to real-world outcomes.
Kent State Graduate Credits Entrepreneurship Education for Tech Success
For high school students considering Kent State’s entrepreneurship program, William Elffers, ’15, encourages them to take the leap. “Deep down everybody has an idea for a business, but somewhere along the way, somebody tells them, just choose the safe route,” he said. “Four years at Kent, five years, six years at Kent is a great time to really explore what your possibilities are with starting a business. It's a safe environment. You can fail and get picked back up and learn.”
Solving for Success
For Kent, Ohio native and 2018 Kent State University graduate Stan Zalewski, mathematics has always been a big part of his life. Now a senior actuarial consultant at Nationwide Insurance, Zalewski recently reached a significant professional milestone — completing the multi-year process to earn the title of Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.
Charting a Path to Aviation Leadership
It was a childhood fascination with aviation that led alumna Linell Homentosky to choose Kent State University when it came time to pick the ideal college program for her. As she tells it, the interest was first sparked by her aunt, Judy, who was a flight attendant.
Turning Numbers into Opportunities Through Actuarial Mathematics
For Ashley Motley, what began as a childhood love of solving math problems — the “weird kid who enjoyed doing math homework,” as she puts it — has grown into a career at Medical Mutual, a Cleveland-based health insurance company, thanks to scholarships, supportive faculty, and hands-on preparation at Kent State University.