17cҳ Works
How a Non-Traditional Student Became Portage County's Top Health Official
When Becky Lehman walked into her first class at 17cҳ, she was in her 30s, raising kids and working at an embroidery shop in nearby Mogadore, Ohio. Today, she is the health commissioner for the Portage County Health District – a career milestone she credits directly to the degrees she earned close to home at 17cҳ.
From 17cҳ to KeyBank
When Cameren Hicks graduated from 17cҳ in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and a minor in finance, he knew he wanted to build a career rooted in numbers, problem-solving and analysis. Today, Hicks is a fraud modeling and analytics lead associate at KeyBank, where he helps protect customers and the company against fraudulent credit and debit card activity.
From Undecided to Unstoppable
17cҳ graduate Emma Sherrie, '09, always had a feeling she would study anthropology, but still she took the time to check out all the other options available before finally settling on her original plan. 17cҳ’s Exploratory Program, which helps undecided students sample different disciplines before committing to a major, was a key part of Sherrie’s experience, and the main reason she chose 17cҳ in the first place.
How Art Education Shapes Students for Life
Solon High School art educator Jennifer Thompson, MA ’03, BA ’95, credits 17cҳ with teaching her that art education isn't just about creating — it's about building critical thinking, empathy and self-expression skills that students carry into every career.
Preparing Behavioral Health Leaders for a Growing Workforce Need
As demand for behavioral health professionals continues to rise across Ohio and the nation, 17cҳ is preparing graduates to not just enter the field right away, but to advance, lead and make a lasting impact in their communities. For three 17cҳ alumni — Cassandra Galloway, Victoria Giegerich and Jason Joyce — their paths may differ slightly, but their stories illustrate how 17cҳ connects education to real-world outcomes.
17cҳ Graduate Credits Entrepreneurship Education for Tech Success
For high school students considering 17cҳ’s entrepreneurship program, William Elffers, ’15, encourages them to take the leap. “Deep down everybody has an idea for a business, but somewhere along the way, somebody tells them, just choose the safe route,” he said. “Four years at Kent, five years, six years at Kent is a great time to really explore what your possibilities are with starting a business. It's a safe environment. You can fail and get picked back up and learn.”
Solving for Success
For Kent, Ohio native and 2018 17cҳ graduate Stan Zalewski, mathematics has always been a big part of his life. Now a senior actuarial consultant at Nationwide Insurance, Zalewski recently reached a significant professional milestone — completing the multi-year process to earn the title of Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.
Charting a Path to Aviation Leadership
It was a childhood fascination with aviation that led alumna Linell Homentosky to choose 17cҳ when it came time to pick the ideal college program for her. As she tells it, the interest was first sparked by her aunt, Judy, who was a flight attendant.
Turning Numbers into Opportunities Through Actuarial Mathematics
For Ashley Motley, what began as a childhood love of solving math problems — the “weird kid who enjoyed doing math homework,” as she puts it — has grown into a career at Medical Mutual, a Cleveland-based health insurance company, thanks to scholarships, supportive faculty, and hands-on preparation at 17cҳ.
Fueling Ohio’s Healthcare Workforce
17cҳ graduates are creating the future of healthcare throughout Ohio. With one of only nine accredited colleges of podiatry in the U.S. and nationally recognized programs for nursing, public health and more, the university has established itself as a leader in healthcare education and workforce development throughout the state. Many of those alumni choose to stay in Ohio, using their knowledge and skills within various healthcare systems to provide the highest quality care.