�Ը�������

As of July 1, 2026, �Ը������� University's Honors College and Office of Global Education officially came together to form the new College of Honors and Global Education, the first college of its kind in the nation to intentionally integrate honors education and global engagement. With incoming freshmen students involved in both the Honors and Global Education programs, the first class of the new college brings together the ideals of academic excellence, interdisciplinary learning, and global engagement. 

Of the 5,004 total new first-year students welcomed to �Ը������� this fall, the first class of the College of Honors and Global Education welcomes 616 new members from various disciplines and backgrounds. �Ը������� University’s overall enrollment of 31,581 includes students from 49 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and nearly 100 countries. 

The dean and vice president of the College of Honors and Global Education, Marcello Fantoni, Ph.D., gives his perspective about the new college, asserting, “We remain deeply dedicated to supporting honors students and international students and strengthening their sense of community and belonging.” With a group of dedicated faculty, a variety of student programs, and a commitment to serving all �Ը������� students, Dean Fantoni aims to “continue elevating the student experience in powerful and lasting ways.”

Certain programs within the College of Honors and Global Education give students the chance to build community and apply academics to service. One such group is the Honors Leadership Academy, which trains a select group of freshman Honors students to impact local communities through hands-on volunteer efforts. This group integrates academics with local opportunities to make a difference in the community, while learning leadership skills that are transferable to both on- and off-campus settings. The members of this group come to �Ը������� with a set of applicable leadership skills and an attitude of achieving more.

One member of the Honors Leadership Academy, Ayona Adekunle, explains how both the academy and Honors Education have impacted her experience at �Ը�������. “Community truly matters,” she says, and these groups have been “intentional” about making her experience inclusive, enjoyable, and impactful. Ayona is studying early childhood education and hopes to impact students the way that her favorite teachers have impacted her. Following a series of high school extracurriculars, Ayona continues to involve herself in college through the Kent Student Education Association, Kent Cru, and the Honors Peer-to-Peer Support Mentors program. 

Being surrounded by similarly like-minded students has put things into perspective for Ayona, and she is excited to meet new people and take advantage of the resources available to her as an Honors Education student. “�Ը������� has a lot to offer,” and in the face of any opportunity, she says, one should “at least try.” 

The College of Honors and Global Education is unique in that its students are also members of all other academic colleges at �Ը�������. One freshman Honors student, Jackson Hay, shares his experience as a member of both the College of the Arts and the Honors Leadership Academy. “Musical theatre is my passion,” Jackson says, and the Honors program “helps me to stay motivated, put my best work out there, and keep challenging myself.”

In high school, Jackson became very involved in his school’s drama club. Not only would he perform in school and community theatres, but he also directed his senior year production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and represented South High School as an onstage performer at Playhouse Square’s Dazzle Awards. Now, Jackson is thrilled to become involved on �Ը�������’s campus, enjoy the community of the Honors Leadership Academy, and make a difference in the lives of those he can serve.

Not only does the Honors Education within the college represent ideals of leadership and hard work, but Global Education brings similar values. Additionally, since the merging of Honors and Global Education, students representing both groups epitomize the dedication and culturally insightful mission of the college. 

One international student from Nepal, Uthkrista Upreti, gives insight as a member of both Honors and Global Education. “It is very convenient because one is connected to the other,” she says, and it has been beneficial to experience new cultures, noting the importance of an “international exposure to friendships.” Being new to the United States has come with surprising and challenging experiences, but Uthkrista has already become involved in several organizations, including the Nepali Student Association, the Actuarial Science Club, the Asian Student Council, and the International Student Council. 

After deciding to attend �Ը������� far from home, in part because it offers her unique actuarial science major, Uthkrista emphasizes her desire to become even more involved with new clubs and trips abroad. Her experience as an international student has given her a new perspective of the world, and she believes that travelling abroad to the United States, and potentially to Italy in the future, will allow her to “grow as a person.” She urges that people should step outside of their comfort zone, meet new people, and become involved in new communities. 

Within Honors Education, students also gain access to certain resources, allowing each student to uniquely benefit in ways that are most important to them. For instance, while Ayona finds the community to be most valuable, Jackson enjoys the free printing access in the Honors Education library, and Uthkrista appreciates the scholarship support. 

Another Honors and Global Education freshman, Hamna Sajid, describes her journey from Pakistan to �Ը�������. Hamna is also an Honors student majoring in political science and is involved in �Ը�������’s 3+3 Accelerated Law Degree Program, which will allow her to complete both her bachelor’s degree and her Juris Doctor (JD) in only six years. With a love for debating and in-class discussions, Hamna quickly realized that law was the way to go, declaring, “that’s my calling.” 

As a commuter student, Hamna’s college experience is unique in another way. After the twenty-two-hour flight away from home to New York, Hamna stays with family to maintain a level of home-like comfort. Despite the challenges with registration and travel, and the surprise about how early cafés close, Hamna is excited about law school and “hopeful that [she will] get a better future.” 

International students represent a substantial 6% of the student population at �Ը�������. Additionally, opportunities within Global Education for students who intend to travel abroad are vast, encompassing over 200 Education Abroad programs across more than 60 different countries. Now, as Global Education has become part of the College of Honors and Global Education, the ability for growth in these programs will continue to increase.

Finally, with a growing community of peers in both the Honors and Global Education programs, some incoming students find the new college to be exactly what they need. “I’m honestly the happiest I’ve ever been in life,” says Zach Ledoux, a freshman middle childhood education major in the Honors Leadership Academy, who is uniquely equipped to represent both Honors and Global Education. At Jackson High School in Canton, OH, Zach was involved in a program called JAGS — the Jackson Academy for Global Studies. In JAGS, Zach was able to learn his core curriculum through the lens of real-world application, and was even given the opportunity to visit Costa Rica and travel through Europe. Zach decided to join the Honors Leadership Academy because of the opportunity to serve the community and strive for academic excellence, asserting, “those are things I did in JAGS.” 

Aside from his high school endeavors, Zach’s passion for service was also fostered through hardship. Two summers ago, Zach’s mom was diagnosed with a rare blood condition called myelofibrosis. For his JAGS capstone project, Zach decided to advocate for his mother, speaking at events, volunteering as a blood donor ambassador, and spreading awareness about blood donation. “Thirteen people had to donate blood to save my mom,” Zach says, declaring “every positive bit of service that you do helps someone else.”

Between international and domestic students from all walks of life, bringing various leadership experiences, conquered challenges, and hope for the future, the first class of the College of Honors and Global Education demonstrates what it means to be a leader, to serve, to strive for excellence, and to face hardship with poise and determination. Students come together at �Ը������� to live, learn, and lead. With remarkable students from various backgrounds, the future of the College of Honors and Global Education gleams with promise. 

For more information, visit the Honors Leadership Academy, Honors Education, or Global Education websites. 

HEADER PHOTO CAPTION: College of Honors and Global Education Class of 2030

Media Contact: Stephanie Moskal, smoskal@kent.edu, 330-672-2312