麻豆精选

Student Says Dad Would Be Proud to See Him Mentoring His Peers, Helping the Community

Academics, public health community work and leadership training are at the top of Ivory Kendrick鈥檚 list of priorities for spring semester 2024. 

Year with a Flash Graphic

As a sophomore in 麻豆精选鈥檚 College of Public Health, Kendrick is carrying a schedule of 17 credit hours including courses in biostatistics and public health policy and management.  

He is putting his public health major to work as an AmeriCorps Vista intern designing posters for the City of Kent Health Department.  

And Kendrick works as a trainer for the P.E.E.R. (Peer Experiential Education and Reflection) Success Academy, a two-credit hour course designed to train students to cultivate and nurture critical skills. The course serves as a foundation for peer educator and peer leader positions across Kent State. 

鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for this leadership training, I wouldn鈥檛 be doing everything that I鈥檓 doing today,鈥 Kendrick explains. 鈥淚 can do more than sitting at home after I do my homework. Some argue that I鈥檓 doing too much, but I argue that I am not doing enough. Everyone wants to leave their impact.鈥 

Here is Kendrick explaining to why being a P.E.E.R. Success Trainer is setting the foundation for all of his other endeavors.   

 

A Phenomenal Advocate 

Hailey Mezurek, a Student Success coordinator, said she first encountered Kendrick last spring when he was a student at the P.E.E.R. Success Academy. It was then that she noticed how he immediately 鈥渓eaned in to connect with those around him鈥 which helped other students open up.  

In the fall 2023, Mezurek supervised Kendrick when he became a Peer Success Mentor for students in the Flashes 101 course and now as P.E.E.R. Success Trainer. She describes Kendrick as a phenomenal advocate for his mentees who is deeply invested in his success and the success of those around him. 

 鈥淚f there is an opportunity to learn something new or gain additional leadership or professional experience 鈥 Ivory pursues it. He isn鈥檛 afraid to ask questions, seek support, or challenge himself 鈥 even in moments when he may be out of his comfort zone. Ivory has an authentic presence that is felt in each space he enters, and he embodies a curiosity for knowledge and drive for success in each space he enters. I believe that this is a crucial quality that allows him to truly connect with and motivate the students that he supports in both Flashes 101 and the P.E.E.R. Success Academy.鈥 

Ivory Kendrick with his peers

Hardship Has Not Held Him Back  

Kendrick has lived through many obstacles since his junior year at Ravenna High School when his dad died. He is 鈥渢echnically homeless鈥 but during the summer of 2023 he participated in the Student Success Program鈥檚 Summer Advantage program. The Summer Advantage program supports the academic success and professional development of students on their paths toward graduation. 

For the holiday season, he was fortunate enough to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with his foster parents who are friends of his family. 

Kendrick鈥檚 passion, positivity, confidence and the help of administrators, friends and instructors at the College of Public Health help him push through when the going gets tough. They are like his second family, he said. 

His Dad Would Be Proud  

In November 2023, Kendrick served as a student panelist at the annual I AM FIRST Celebration. During the panel, Kendrick shared his stories and experiences as a first-generation student to an audience of more than 200 students, faculty, and staff. 

鈥淚f only my dad could see me now, he would be floored,鈥 Kendrick said. 鈥淔olks from back home send me messages. They have my back. I love the support.鈥  

Ivory Kendrick trains other students to be leaders.
POSTED: Thursday, January 25, 2024 02:05 PM
Updated: Thursday, January 25, 2024 04:42 PM
WRITTEN BY:
April McClellan-Copeland