“We’re here to teach them how to navigate college, and we’re here to teach them how to navigate life.”
Eboni Pringle sees first hand how the arrival of I Promise scholars to Kent State is making a long-term impact. As dean of Kent State University’s University College, Pringle stood with these students two years ago as they first learned the life-changing news that the university was guaranteeing their tuition for four years to include the cost of their room and meals for their first year.
Fast forward to the 2021-22 academic year and the arrival of 32 I Promise students for their first year at Kent State. The year has been enlightening, but it has also been challenging as the students dealt with the extraordinary demands of a global pandemic in addition to the normal adjustments to college life.
“They learned a lot about their strengths and they learned a lot about how to tap into the resources at Kent State and that it's okay to tap in and ask for help,” Pringle said. “Many times students who have accomplished so much on their own, believe that everything has to be accomplished on their own.”
The university’s commitment goes beyond tuition and life support by including tutoring, mentoring, and other resources to help these students reach their goals.
“At Kent State there are so many people willing to help me as a student and as a person,” said Jaime Meeker, 19, an I Promise scholar who is majoring in cyber security engineering. “Kent State offers students support.”
Through it all, the I Promise students have stood strong, persevering through it all, and they have learned many important lessons about themselves and the Golden Flash family that welcomed them with open arms.
“These are students who have everything to give to our community, but unfortunately they face challenges and barriers that can keep them from being able to contribute in the ways that we know and they know they can” Pringle said. “So we want to make sure that we help them navigate over and around all of the barriers and challenges they are facing so they can be the citizens that they want to be.”
Moving Forward Together
One of the many resources that has been provided to I Promise students at Kent State has been the CommUNITY Lab, a new four-year cohort program housed in Community Engaged Learning. It offers students a network of care and resources at Kent State University while removing financial, academic and personal barriers to success.
The current cohort include students from the I PROMISE Program, supported by the LeBron James Family Foundation, and students graduating from the District of Columbia College Access Program (DC-CAP).
Participants reside in a Living-Learning Community located in Lake Hall where they learn through selected courses, plug into campus resources and co-create individualized achievement plans with their support networks.
Additionally, CommUNITY Lab provides signature hands-on learning and development opportunities, including service, mentorship, student employment and immersive travel experiences.
“CommUNITY Lab and other resources have helped the I Promise students grow from the challenges that they experienced their first semester,” Pringle said. “A big part of life is having others to help you navigate, like having mentors and guides, and to be okay asking for help from those mentors and guides. And through this growth, the I Promise scholars’ confidence in their own strength, their own skill set and their own abilities has increased.”