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The ����ֱ�� State University alumni family grew by nearly 3,000 new graduates as the university held its Fall Commencement ceremonies. For the ����ֱ�� Campus, Commencement ceremonies took place Friday, Dec. 14, and Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center).

Like most students, Mackenzie Bailey faced the typical challenges during the start of her academic career, including choosing a major and getting good grades. But that all paled in comparison to the devastating news she received her freshman year: her father had terminal cancer.

“When I was home for winter break, he ended up passing away,” Ms. Bailey said.

For Diamond Lauderdale, ����ֱ�� State University 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.

����ֱ�� State University President Beverly J. Warren challenged the university community to embrace transformation at the annual State of the University Address.

“Serious transformation is never easy,” she said. “It challenges us to let go of predictable ways and embrace something new and unfamiliar.”

During his first year at ����ֱ�� State University, 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.

In her upcoming State of the University address, President Warren will chart one final course for university success, as she spotlights the achievements of the past year and shines a light on ����ֱ�� State’s path for the future.

����ֱ�� State’s newly announced Design Innovation (DI) Initiative will cultivate a culture where students from a wide array of degree programs will collaborate across disciplines and create unique concepts to tackle “wicked” problems, according to J.R. Campbell, inaugural executive director of ����ֱ�� State’s Design Innovation Initiative. Mr. Campbell answers some frequently asked questions about ����ֱ�� State’s DI Initiative.

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 ����ֱ�� State University. By the end of the year, Ms. Miley found herself academically dismissed for poor grades.

����ֱ�� State University senior Ashley Foster has known since third grade that she wanted a career as a chef.

The 20-year-old hospitality management major got a little closer to her dream over the summer when she spent a week training with celebrity chef Cat Cora at the chef’s headquarters in Santa Barbara, California.