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University College

After all she has overcome, Diamond Lauderdale credits ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø with helping her reach her dreams.

For Diamond Lauderdale, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø is not only her chosen college, it is her new home.

While growing up in Akron, Ohio, Ms. Lauderdale’s home life was challenging. She lived with her disabled father and worked two jobs to help make ends meet. Ms. Lauderdale’s father has been unable to walk for many years, and as she got older, her father’s condition worsened. Through it all, Ms. Lauderdale held onto a dream. She wanted to get a college education.

Student Elijah Kirkland-Boyce stands on the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Ice Rink

During his first year at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, Elijah Kirkland-Boyce realized that the road to the Dean’s List was a bumpy one, filled with twists and turns he never could have anticipated. Instead of giving up, Mr. Kirkland-Boyce reached out. He started taking advantage of the resources offered through Student Support Services.

Kellie Miley standing among greenery and plants

Kellie Miley is the first to admit, when she graduated from Rootstown High School in 2008, she was not ready for college. In high school, she barely cracked a book yet managed a 3.2 grade point average (GPA).

Getting by with little effort changed when she started as a freshman at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. By the end of the year, Ms. Miley found herself academically dismissed for poor grades.

Celeste Dawson credits ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s EXCEL program for making the Kent Campus feel like a second home.

Celeste Dawson had made up her mind. She was not going to attend college and that was her final decision. 

Her story could have ended there, but the support of her parents and a program at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø opened up a new chapter in her life – one filled with opportunities she never imagined.

Jordan Wilkens stands in front of a background image of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø's Kent Campus Esplanade

When Jordan Wilkins was a senior in high school, he thought he knew what he wanted after graduation – a career in the United States Air Force. However, his principal envisioned a different path, one where he would soar sky-high, not in a plane but at a four-year university.

Pictured (left to right) are Barb Smith of KeyBank; Margot Copeland of KeyBank Foundation and ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Board of Trustees; ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø student Jordan Wilkins; ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø President Beverly Warren; and ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Foundation Board Chair Gary Brahler.

KeyBank Foundation has granted $1 million to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø to support programs to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students.