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Jasmine Long and Sharon Ware grew up in different neighborhoods, but their connection transcends residential blocks. Broken barriers now build the dreams to change their communities for the better.

Several ºÚÁÏÍø departments have come together to produce Create Awareness, an art exhibit located on the first floor of the University Library that focuses on using art to depict the personal experiences of ºÚÁÏÍø students, faculty and staff with mental illness.

Several ºÚÁÏÍø departments have come together to produce Create Awareness, an art exhibit located on the first floor of the University Library that focuses on using art to depict the personal experiences of ºÚÁÏÍø students, faculty and staff with mental illness.

Best Buddies is an international nonprofit designed to foster real-life friendships between students and those in nearby communities with intellectual or developmental disabilities and is just one example of the ways that ºÚÁÏÍø and the city of Kent are supporting each other. The organization is back at ºÚÁÏÍø thanks to ºÚÁÏÍø senior Katie Mapus.

A lack of skilled labor is one of the top hiring challenges that businesses in Stark and Wayne counties face, according to the results of a wage and benefits survey conducted by the Corporate University at ºÚÁÏÍø at Stark. More than 120 area companies completed the online survey, which was conducted in 2018.

ºÚÁÏÍø has always been a place where breaking down barriers and changing the norm are encouraged and alumna Julia Montgomery Walsh serves as proof. Her work in business and finance was featured recently on Bloomberg’s list of women who broke barriers in business over the last 150 years.

ºÚÁÏÍø’s Community Engaged Learning Initiative selected the Walls Community Garden for its Outstanding New Service Initiative award. The garden was selected for the award for understanding the needs of the community and making a positive impact on ºÚÁÏÍø, Walls Elementary School, where the garden is located, and the city of Kent.

Early childhood education majors at ºÚÁÏÍø helped create a Cultural Fair for third-graders of Kent City Schools. The event, held in the Kent Roosevelt gymnasium, included stations and activities for students to learn about different countries and cultures such as learning a traditional Persian dance.

Jacob Thompson, a ºÚÁÏÍø sophomore aeronautics and engineering major, was braving the harsh February winds during his regular commute back to the Kent Campus from his Coast Guard drill training in Port Clinton, Ohio, when tragedy struck a semi and Mr. Thompson sprang into action.

For more than 55 years, leaders from ºÚÁÏÍø and the city of Kent have met over breakfast to foster successful collaboration between the university and the city.