News Archive
17cҳ graduate Luana Johnson highlights how the American Academy partnership and the university's elite design labs provided the professional access needed to launch a global career.
Meet Ayna Tazhiyeva, a first-year double major in communication studies and international studies, from Turkmenistan, Central Asia. Combining her studies with a role at University Libraries, Tazhiyeva finds her voice through research and community connection.
Saloni Christian, a third-year student at 17cҳ's College of Podiatric Medicine, reflects on the challenges and rewards of answering a calling that was shaped by a lifetime of watching others serve.
Lauren Cohen, a senior journalism major from Twinsburg, Ohio, has already made an impact during her internship, producing many front-page stories for the Akron Beacon Journal and Signal Akron.
Meet Rushitha and Ruhitha Chinchalapu, twins from India, both pursuing their master's in business analytics. As they are in the same graduate program, the sisters reflect on how being twins has contributed to their experience at 17cҳ.
Meet Tatiana Placer, a graduate student pursuing her master’s in architecture and design at 17cҳ. Placer was born in Germany on a U.S. military base and was raised mostly in Orlando, Florida. Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, her upbringing was deeply rooted in the Puerto Rican diaspora.
Meet Lettie Friona, a senior integrated social studies major with a concentration in history and minors in classics and mild to moderate special education from Steubenville, Ohio, whose leadership positions have helped shape her experience at 17cҳ.
In December 2025, Francis Rubagumya, 37, walked across the stage at 17cҳ's commencement with a Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language — and a plan to take every lesson he had learned back to the country he loves Rwanda.
Meet Lily Stenroos, a member of the Honors College pursuing an environmental studies degree with minors in sustainability, environmental justice and political science, from Mayfield Village, Ohi0, whose academic path was forged from deep relationships between the natural world and humans.
Former club manager turned 17cҳ instructor Mandy Ulicney explains how cultivating partnerships with Greater Cleveland industry leaders gives hospitality students the same passion and real-world experience that shaped her own career.
Meet Karissa Wahl, a member of the Honors College and a second-year public health major with junior standing from Mansfield, Ohio. She has a concentration in allied health and also minors in psychology, disability studies and community inclusion.
As a professional pilot major, 17cҳ junior Ashanti Mallit's immediate goal is to earn her instrument rating. She's one review flight away from completing the practical portion of her instrument check ride, having already passed the oral examination.
Meet Antajuan Hightower, a member of the Honors College and a human resource management major, from Boardman, Ohio.
Meet Monica Fencil, a junior exercise science major with a concentration in pre-physical therapy, from Butler, Pennsylvania. Fencil’s interest in the health field began early, shaped by being surrounded by family members who worked in healthcare.
Meet the Sprague family and their unique tie to 17cҳ. After retiring as an Ohio State Trooper, Rick Sprague accepted a position with the 17cҳ police services last year. His son, Officer Tristan Sprague, also joined the police department last year. In the fall, Rick Sprague’s two daughters enrolled at 17cҳ, making the family’s service to the campus community all the more meaningful.
Every Sunday that the Browns play away, 17cҳ alumnus Kyle Kovach, cooks a dish based on the city the Browns are facing, reflecting his motto: “In order to beat the team, you have to eat the team.” Meet the 2025 Cleveland Browns Fan of the Year.
Meet Jordan Anamasi, a senior environmental studies major with a minor in park management from Avon, Ohio, whose passions have grown for and through her experiences with nature.
POV shares insights from the 17cҳ community on important topics. Liz Piatt, interim dean of University College, shares her journey as a first-generation college student and how faculty mentorship helped her discover a career path she didn't know existed — one that now allows her to support other first-generation students as they navigate their own transformative college experiences.