ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ

Creating a Brighter Future – Meet the Class of 2025

ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State’s Class of 2025 stands tall – more than 3,982 stories tall. Each of our new, first-year students offers a unique and engaging story.

These students come to ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State from 39 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. This class of first-year students also includes students from 22 countries around the world.

The average GPA of these students is an all-time high of 3.50. 14% of ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State’s Class of 2025 are in the Honors College – which also sets a record as the largest incoming group. Nearly three in 10 students are the first in their families to attend college.

We asked a few members of The Class of 2025 to share their stories with us. We asked why they chose to come to ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State, who helped them with that decision, what they’re excited about now that they’re on campus and what their dream job would be after graduation. We also asked them: if they could send a message to themselves in 2025, what would they say?

 

CLASS OF 2025 BY THE NUMBERS

3,283Enrolled Freshmen
929Transfer Students
1,276First Generation
 

Meet Blessing Mupinga

Blessing Muping, an aeronautics, professional pilot major at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State smiles for the camera.


Blessing Mupinga (She/Her/Hers)

 

Major: Aeronautics - Professional Pilot

Blessing’s path to ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State may have been a little shorter than others. She’s originally from the ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ area and both of her parents have been teaching at the university since 2008. She also has two older siblings who are ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State alumni.

So when she was asked about what influenced her decision to attend ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State, Blessing said, β€œTo be honest, it was 100% my immediate family,” and that” it was just tradition to attend ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State in some sort of way.” 

Aside from her family’s influence, Blessing also chose ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State β€œbecause of the outstanding reputation the Aeronautics program has.”

Blessing is excited about living on campus, but acknowledges that living close to home β€œmakes my transition to independence more subtle. I would have felt way too underprepared to do this all on my own.”

After graduation, her dream would be to move out of state to work as a corporate pilot or to be employed by a commercial airline.

Blessing's message to herself in 2025

β€œDear Blessing, I knew you could do it. I’m so proud of you and all that you’ve done to get to your current status. Now go out there and change the world by living up to the meaning of your name. Your journey has just begun, don’t stop or look back until you realize your final destination.”

Meet Kylee Livengood

Kylee Livengood, a nursing major at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State sits in a field and smiles.

Kylee Livengood (She, Her, Hers)

Major: Nursing

Kylee grew up just 15 minutes away from ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State and has an older sister who also attended. Making the decision to attend ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State was easy for Kylee, especially with her sister’s help with the application process and in getting connected to campus.

β€œI was pretty familiar with ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State, and I knew that they had one of the top nursing programs in the state of Ohio.”  She said that she’s most excited about meeting new people and experiencing the fun atmosphere of the ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ Campus. After graduation, Kylee’s dream job is to be a nurse practitioner.

Kylee's message to herself in 2025

β€œI hope all my hard work paid off, and I hope I had a great four years that I’ll always remember.”

 

CLASS OF 2025 BY THE NUMBERS

778Out-of-State
65%Northeast Ohio
3,204Ohio Residents
 

Meet Arianna Kemp

Arianna Kemp, a special education major at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State smiles for the camera.


Arianna Kemp (She/They)

 

Major: Special Education, with a minor in costume design

Arianna first heard about ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State in her senior year of high school as part of a Project GRAD class. Project GRAD-Akron is a non-profit education reform entity that offers programs, support, and scholarships for underrepresented youth from kindergarten through career classes.

Arianna said she chose to apply to ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State because it was close to home and β€œthe programs here are really dope.”

The factors that influenced her decision were which college would allow her to be closest to her home and which college offered the best scholarships. 

Arianna said that her dream job would be to help people with disabilities and the one thing she’d like people to know about her is that β€œI’m not as mean as I look.”

Arianna's message to herself in 2025

β€œCongrats on not dropping out!”

Meet Maliq Dancy

Maliq Darcy, a biology major at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State smiles for the camera.


Maliq Dancy (He/Him/His)

 

Major: Biology

Maliq was part of the first group of students in the Lebron James Family Foundation (LJFF) iPromise program and that’s how he discovered ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State as an option for college. The scholarship he received from the ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State was a key factor in his college decision. Maliq said,

β€œMy parents probably helped me most in choosing my college, this way it was not too far from home, but still far enough where I feel independent,” Maliq said.

Being a biomedical engineer would be Maliq’s dream job, and the one thing he’d like other members of The Class of 2025 to know about him would be β€œI’m really introverted.”

Maliq's message to himself in 2025

β€œI would ask what I’m doing with my life at that point.”

 

CLASS OF 2025 BY THE NUMBERS

3.50Avg. GPA
14%Honors College
577Honors College
 

Meet Michelle Stanley

Michelle Stanley, a fashion design major at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State smiles for the camera.


Michelle Stanley (She/Her/Hers)

 

Major: Fashion Design

Michelle learned about ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State in her junior year of high school from her school’s college advisor after they discussed her interest in studying fashion. Her advisor helped her plan for college and answer all of her questions about life after high school.

β€œI liked the atmosphere and it wasn’t far from home,” Michelle said. β€œThere are endless opportunities here at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ and it feels like home. β€œ

Michelle is excited to learn how to use the digital software relating to art and fashion. While she doesn’t really have a dream job, Michelle said she would like to be β€œthe business owner of my own brand” β€œBut as I build up to that, I would like to work as an assistant designer at Nike.”

What she would like the other members of The Class of 2025 to know about her?

β€œJust like them, I’m navigating adulthood, and I am also on the road to success and whatever that looks like for me. Just as they are or they wouldn’t be here.”

Michelle's message to herself in 2025

β€œEverything will work itself out. Stop overthinking and go for what you want.”

Meet Carlissa Robinson

Carlissa Robinson, a early childhood education major at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State smiles for the camera.


Carlissa Robinson (She/Her/Hers)

 

Major: Early Childhood Education

Carlissa first experienced ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State as part of the Lebron James Family Foundation (LJFF) that allowed students in an ACT/SAT prep program to stay on the ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ Campus for three weeks. 

β€œThey have everything I was looking for in a college and they had the major I was looking for,” she said. β€œThey had different clubs and programs I was looking for, and they had the people I was looking for.”

Carlissa was part of the LJFF’s iPromise program and has received a scholarship from ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State. She said that the people who most influenced her college decision were her mother and her twin, Asakee.

The thing that excited Carlissa the most about attending ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State is β€œthe thrill of not knowing what you are going to run into each day. Whether that be a game night in the dorm room lounge or a movie night on the grass.” Her dream job after college is to become an educator and help her students as much as possible, so that they can persist to graduation.

The one thing that Carlissa would like other members of The Class of 2025 to know about her is β€œThat I am a Queer African-American woman.”
 

Carlissa's message to herself in 2025

β€œNo matter where you are now, I know you are doing great things. I know you did your best, and I am proud of you.”

 

CLASS OF 2025 BY THE NUMBERS

38States Outside Ohio represented
41International Students
22Countries Represented
 

Meet Mary Jewell

Mary Jewell, a environmental conservation biology major at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State smiles for the camera with her cat.


Mary Jewell (She/Her/Hers)

 

Major: Environmental Conservation Biology

Living in Akron, Mary was familiar with the colleges that were nearby. When the time came to apply to colleges, her parents encouraged her to apply to ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State and a few other colleges.  Mary said β€œI thought I had may plan all figured out, but in the end, I am very happy they encouraged me to apply.”  Now that she’s on campus, Mary is excited about all the events and different clubs . β€œThere is always something going on,” she said.

As for her dream job after graduation, Mary described herself as β€œin between dreams at the moment, but I have wanted ultimately to be a National Park manager for a while so I think that’s the dream I’m following right now.”

The one thing Mary would like others in The Class of 2025 to know is that β€œI am always listening to music – so if they have any suggestions, let me know”

Mary's message to herself in 2025

β€œNo matter what path you end up following, as long as you believe it is the right path for you – I’m proud of you.”

 

CLASS OF 2025 BY THE NUMBERS
Top 3 Enrolled Colleges

975Enrolled in Arts & Sciences
527Enrolled in College of the Arts
486Enrolled in Education, Health and Human Services
 
Updated: Friday, December 9, 2022 04:35 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Phillip Soencksen
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