Kent State University

Picture it...

Moundsville, West Virginia August 1995 - May 1996.  It's an exciting year filled with many milestones.  In August, I began my senior year of high school. In October, I turned 18.  Finally, an adult! With all of the exciting changes came many important decisions.  Where would I go to college? What would I choose as my future career?

I wanted, more than anything, to attend Kent State University.  I grew up in a broken home. Kent State University was half way between my mother's and my father's home.  It was far enough away, that I felt I could spread my wings and fly, yet close enough to either parent that I didn't feel completely alone. 

It wasn't to be.  I went to another college and like many other young adults, my life took me in another direction than originally planned.  I decided to leave college after I completed my first year to figure out "who I was". I moved from West Virginia, where I spent my formative years, to Ohio where I was born and my dad's family lived.

In December 2004, I graduated from Lorain County Community College. I obtained my Associate's of Science in Nursing (ADN) and in February 2005 I sat for and passed my nursing boards.  I was officially an RN! Prior to graduating from LCCC, I had decided that I wasn't done pursuing my nursing education and upon graduation I immediately began taking core education requirement classes for a Bachelor's degree.  When deciding upon which college I would attend to obtain my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN), it couldn't have been more perfect.  Kent State University, the college I had originally wanted to attend, was the obvious choice. 

Kent State University has been in the news and a Twitter trending topic in the past few days.  Unfortunately, it hasn't necessarily been the best news.  The football team was clobbered by Ohio State University on Saturday.  This morning, I found the news to be disgusting.  A company decided to use the horrific historic event that took place on the Kent State University campus for publicity.  It backfired.  The general consensus is outrage towards the company, and the younger generation who may not have been educated on the May 4, 1970 event, learned a bit of history. 

After seeing a company completely disrespect Kent State, I decided that I would return to my blog to write about what Kent State University has meant to me. 

After moving to Ohio, I began working at Energizer.  First, as a security guard, then as an information assistant in the corporate library.  I can't say enough good things about Energizer either.  It's where I grew up.  It's where I met my husband.  It's where I learned about the kind of woman I wanted to be. 

The woman I reported to at Energizer, was a graduate of Kent State University.  She attended in the 1970's after the campus and the tone of our culture was forever changed by those events in May 1970.  She taught me about the kind of woman I wanted to be.  I will always hold a dear place in my heart for her.  To this day, she remains the most influential female figure in my life.  I will never be able to thank her enough for showing me what it means to be professional, hardworking, confident, and independent. 

At Kent State University, I began to believe in myself again academically.  I was on the Dean's List, I was inducted into the Tau Sigma National Honor Society for Transfer Students and the Golden Key International Honor Society for my academic achievements.  By choosing to complete my BSN in an online program, I learned more than I could have ever imagined through the interactions with my fellow classmates.  The instructors were encouraging and besides genuinely being proud to be a part of the future of the profession, they fostered an environment of intense learning and sharing of experiences.

By obtaining my BSN, I was able to realize a career goal of becoming a clinical instructor at LCCC.  I was able to give back to the profession that has been so good to me by leading new members into the profession.  As I prepare for the next step in my nursing career, I am again choosing Kent State University for their excellent Master's program - Adult Nurse Practitioner. 

To me, Kent State University isn't only a college that is spoken about in the history books.  It is the place where I found a part of me that I thought was forever lost.  It is the place that will allow me to further my nursing career. 

Thank you Kent State University for being a part of my life. 

If you are reading this, and you are also a Kent State University Alumni, I encourage you to share the positive experiences you had as a student and what the college has meant to you.  Let's not let a despicable company make the news negative. Let's show the world how great Kent State University is.