Numbers in the Honors College are growing again this year, with 693 first-year students in this fall’s class of 2028, exceeding last year’s count of 593 first-year students.
With 23.8% of students traveling from out-of-state, 27 international students from 10 different countries, and 76.2% of students home-grown right here in Ohio, the Honors College is continuing to exceed expectations in enrollment. They’re not looking back anytime soon though - this year’s class of first-year students has again broken the record for largest incoming class in the history of the Honors College. First-generation students continue to comprise a sizable portion of the honors population, weighing in at 17.7% of the Honors College class of 2028 for this fall.”
Dean of the Honors College, Alison J. Smith Ph. D., announced, “We are delighted to welcome 693 freshmen to the Honors College this fall, including 27 international students from all over the world.” Dean Smith describes that the Honors College is thrilled to see students from every undergraduate college on campus included in these numbers, and she is excited to, “see all the possibilities they bring for new and creative ways to further develop the university community.”
While the Honors College houses students within every college on the Kent State campus, three key colleges comprise the majority of these first-year honors students. Making up about 29.3% of this year’s class of 2028 is ’s College of Arts and Sciences. College of the Arts and College of Aeronautics and Engineering follow, comprising 11.8% and 10.7% of Honors College first-year students, respectively.
Amongst all of these first-year students are also new faces to the Honor’s Leadership Academy (HLA). HLA is a program within the Honors College that provides a select group of first-year students the opportunity to explore leadership and community engagement in a more hands-on manner. This also includes networking opportunities and a chance to tie in their own studies outside of the Honors College to the local Portage County community. These first-year students, selected each year since its inception in 2018, have been asked to apply due to their high school accomplishments and experiences.
HONORS CLASS OF 2028 BY THE NUMBERS
Meet Antajuan Hightower from Boardman, Ohio
PHOTO TAKEN BY KENT STATE UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE.
Major: Human Resource Management
Antajuan Hightower, a first-year HLA student majoring in human resource management, describes that even though the workload is intense, he hopes to use this opportunity to network with his professors and learn all he can from them. Originally from Boardman, Ohio, Antajuan was drawn to Kent State due to its home-away-from-home experience. Upon finding HLA and the Honors College, the business major was really drawn to the aspect of having a community of like-minded individuals to connect with, especially as a first-year student.
Antajuan is looking forward to exploring different groups and clubs outside of the Honors College as well. He has joined the H2O Church, and is looking into the running club at Kent State, too. He comments that as a former cross country and track athlete in high school, he wants time to put all of his studies aside for an hour or two and run for non-competitive fun with his peers. Antajuan is also looking forward to networking with individuals in his new student worker position at The Beverly J. Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Similarly to what drew him to HLA, Antajuan is really interested in connecting with as many different people as he can throughout his college journey at Kent State.
Antajuan sees honors students as ‘difference makers’, and wants to encourage current students to embrace all of the change that is happening. The work is hard, but everything they are doing right now is important. He wants this current class, and future students, to know that they are not alone.
Antajuan's message to himself in 2028
“I have hope for a future with growth and maturity beyond my years.”
HONORS CLASS OF 2028 BY THE NUMBERS
Meet Landon Crisler from Pataskala, Ohio
PHOTO PROVIDED BY LANDON CRISLER.
Major: Spanish Translation
Landon Crisler, having chosen Kent State for its proximity, allowing independence while still being relatively close to his family, has a similar sentiment when it comes to encouraging his peers. This new member of HLA believes that students shouldn’t be afraid to put themselves out there and ask questions. By doing that, not only are they helping their peers learn, but students will also realize that everyone is facing the same challenges and going through the same experiences. Once someone finds those that share their interests, everyone will grow together and feel unified. Being a part of the Honors College and HLA also offers the opportunity to easily find your found family and friends. He describes that in the first few weeks of class, he and the other HLA students have already formed inseparable bonds, and this first-year member urges future students not to hesitate in the decision to apply for the Honors College and experience with the academy.
Landon settled in as a Spanish translation major upon arriving at Kent State. He has been learning and studying Spanish for about six years, and enjoys this major because he gets to connect with people who share his interest. Landon is considering a minor in economics, with hopes of securing a job or an internship that allows him to do both. He is hoping that his placement in the Honors College and HLA will allow him to reach these goals in the future.
Outside of his found family in the college, Landon also enjoys almost everything to do with the outdoors. He has already signed up for activities such as camping, hiking, canoeing, and more. The Spanish translation major also greatly enjoys playing the guitar and is keeping an eye out for clubs or organizations that fit his interests.
Landon's message to himself in 2028
“You’ve put in the time and effort to achieve another amazing milestone, and I am confident that this is only one of many yet to come. The rest of your time is what you make of it, so find happiness in what you choose to do with your life. Congratulations Landon!”
HONORS CLASS OF 2028 BY THE NUMBERS
Meet Madison Pack from Baltimore, Maryland
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MADISON PACK.
Major: Psychology
Fellow Honors Leadership Academy member, Madison Pack, also enjoys having active hobbies outside of her academic studies. Lately, she has been taking the time to wake up early in the morning, every morning, to go for a run. Along with that, she has taken the opportunity to browse the various classes and events offered at The Beverly J. Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center, such as pilates and puppy yoga. Madison is also jumping into her first semester of her first year by making connections through Kent State’s chapter of Sister Circle, an organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering women of color. While realizing that the social aspect of college is important, she urges other students in the Honors College to make the most of their schedule. The HLA member’s advice is to attempt to complete all classwork early in the day– that way, she has the rest of the day to spend however she would like. Madison has already put this into practice, getting all of her classes and homework done by around 3 p.m. each day.
As a psychology major with a pre-med concentration and hopes to get into medical school after graduation, Madison chose Kent State for the sense of belonging she felt while visiting the campus. Originally from the suburban area of Baltimore, Maryland, she describes how Kent State felt like a good stepping stone out of Baltimore because of the similarities in environment. When the psychology major was searching for different schools, she selected Kent State over other competitors because while she felt unsure about other schools around her, Kent State just felt right. Madison is currently having fun exploring the area and getting to know all the different places her friends mention to her.
While visiting for the first time on Future Flash Day, Madison was introduced to the Honors College. With all of the benefits like free printing, the library and lounge space just for honors students, as well as academic support, she felt that she couldn’t pass up the opportunity! An ambitious student, Madison received an email to apply for Honors Leadership Academy soon after acceptance into the college and found this as a great opportunity to set herself apart from others in her field and major. Using the leadership experience she will gain from HLA and the college, Madison plans to apply for a resident assistant position at Kent State for next academic year.
Madison's message to herself in 2028
“Time slows down for no one. Enjoy the moment while we live in it.”
Meet Caleb Stanberry from Cambridge, Ohio
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CALEB STANBERRY.
Major: Computer Science
This sense of belonging proves to be a common occurrence amongst first-year students, as fellow Honors College member and HLA member Caleb Stanberry also chose Kent State for the feeling of welcome he got when he visited. From his first campus tour to KSU Kickoff, he describes that Kent State has made him feel at home from the start. Caleb is currently a passionate computer science major, having grown his love for the subject back in high school when he was taking college classes through a College Credit Plus program. Outside of his major, Caleb is really interested in the pickleball and tennis clubs and hopes to be competitive in them during his collegiate career.
Caleb sees the Honors College in the same light he sees Kent State, a welcoming and inclusive environment, only this time with a little edge. He likes how HLA and the Honors College are smaller groups of individuals with similar academic motivations. He would like to take advantage of many of the opportunities HLA offers, such as the big community projects that come with the academy. He also intends to learn more about the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, an eight-week program filled with faculty-supervised research based on the student’s own interests. He believes that the skills he acquires this year in HLA will give him an edge when it comes to conducting research next summer.
Caleb wants to hone in on developing his leadership skills this year, something HLA takes pride in helping students with. His advice to his peers is to look into what programs are available, and to not let fear get in the way of going for it. There are countless opportunities just waiting for students to jump at them and find their place on campus.
Caleb's message to himself in 2028
“I want you to remember the passion you have for computer science. It is about the love you have for creating and innovating. Take this passion with you into your future career and you will accomplish anything.”
Meet Luke Dipold from Alliance, Ohio
PHOTO PROVIDED BY LUKE DIPOLD.
Major: Biology Medicine
Honors College first-year student and member of HLA’s newest cohort, Luke Dipold, is a biology medicine major. He is looking to attend medical school after graduation and gained an interest in his career field by taking high school College Credit Plus courses. It not only helped him accomplish some of his goals in high school, but also prepared him for college. Luke spent much time researching which college to attend, including comparing Kent State with other universities in the area. Luke, having grown up just a little under an hour away from the city of Kent, chose Kent State not only because of the location, but also because of the affordability and many scholarship opportunities offered to him.
Luke applied to the Honors College because of the different courses he took in high school. He wanted to be a part of a community that was as ambitious about their coursework as he was, and he wanted to challenge himself with these new honors courses. Of course, he agrees that the small perks like slightly larger residence hall rooms and private bathrooms are always a plus as well. He decided to apply for HLA for similar reasons, finding others that wish to be leaders as well , and hopes that he and his classmates can learn how to sharpen those skills together. He is already excited about participating in different service projects for the Kent community with his fellow HLA peers.
Luke aspires to become someone reputable for his peers to come to if they need help on campus, and plans to make as many friends as he can here at Kent State. He has joined the pickleball club, and has gone to various pre-med club meetings, to get a feel for what Kent State has to offer socially. He has plans to apply for Phi Delta Epsilon in the future, and also has biology and racketball on his radar. With all of these different activities, he offers his advice to other students to set time for everything going on in your day, whether that is going to breakfast with friends or penciling in time to sit and study. He believes that the social aspect is just as important as academics, so scheduling out the day will ensure enough time and energy to get everything accomplished.
Luke's message to himself in 2028
“Don't be so quick to move on to the next thing in life and remember those who helped you along the way.”
HONORS CLASS OF 2028 BY THE NUMBERS
Top 3 Enrolled Colleges
The Honors College community continues to serve as an inclusive environment for students at . Through supporting their academic endeavors, the college and its staff look forward to seeing all of these Honors College first-year students grow, explore, and find a home at Kent State. This year’s cohort of new Honors Leadership Academy members show that an inclusive and supportive atmosphere reminds them of home, and that their new ‘home’ is right here at .
The Honors College has been enriching the lives of thousands of students since 1933 and now hails 12 Portz Scholars, as of 2024. The college is part of a long tradition of promoting academically motivated students with a unique academic experience. For more information about the Honors College, please visit the Honors College website.
The Honors Leadership Academy was established in 2018 as an opportunity to introduce first-year honors students to leadership learning and civic engagement in the local community. For more information about Honors Leadership Academy, please visit the Honors Leadership Academy website.
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HERO HEADER PHOTO CAPTION: Honors College Class of 2028 poses for a group photo outside of Stopher-Johnson Hall at the Honors College Welcome and Ice Cream Social event held in August 2024.
Media Contact: Stephanie Moskal, smoskal@kent.edu, 330-672-2312