Hi! My name is Taina Rivera and I am a sophomore at Â鶹´«Ã½. When I was a freshman, I was undecided in my major, so I was a part of Kent State’s Exploratory Program in University College. I was also a member of the Exploratory Living-Learning Program that is housed in Lake Hall. The Exploratory Program and Living-Learning Program surrounded me with support, whether it was from fellow Exploratory students, the incredible Exploratory Advising Center staff or from any of the other award-winning resources provided through University College.
I met some of my best friends through this community and made reliable connections with faculty. With the all the knowledge that I gained through the resources of the Exploratory Program, I was able to successfully declare my Marketing major, which I absolutely love, toward the end of my second semester. I’m also on track to graduate on time in May of 2024.
I loved being a member of the Living-Learning Program so much that I applied to be an Exploratory Mentor my sophomore year and reapplied for my junior year. I wanted to help the new incoming freshman discover their passions and ultimately pick a major, especially after being a student who went through the same thing.
My role as an Exploratory Mentor includes holding office hours on the first floor of Lake Hall, planning, and hosting academic and stress-relief events for the community and connecting with students daily. Through this position I have gained new skills and discovered new qualities and passions in myself.
Kent State provided me with a paying job that offers flexible hours, professional development, career-related experiences and lifelong connections.
I whole heartedly recommend joining the Exploratory Program if you are not yet entirely confident in choosing a major. It is better to come in undecided and with the time to form an educated decision, rather than picking a major that you aren’t truly passionate about and end up changing it a few months or even semesters in.
With every semester that passes, I grow more and more confident in my decision to attend Kent State. The atmosphere and community spirit on campus is warm and inspiring. I have great pride in being a KSU Flash and I hope that Future Flashes can fall in love with Kent State like I have.