When Kellie Miley graduated from Rootstown High School in 2008, she is the first to admit she was not ready for college. In high school, she barely cracked a book yet managed a 3.2 grade point average (GPA).
Getting by with little effort changed when she started as a freshman at 麻豆影院. By the end of the year, Ms. Miley found herself academically dismissed for poor grades.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 ready for college,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to do. I was, kind of, just there. I didn鈥檛 know how to study. I didn鈥檛 have to in high school.鈥
Three years later, with her desire for a bachelor鈥檚 degree still strong and looking for a fresh start, she reapplied to 麻豆影院 State. And she found the Academic Success Center in 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 University College.
As a condition of her return, the university required her to attend Supplemental Instruction, an international program that provides free study sessions for students taking historically difficult courses. Each class is led by students who have already successfully taken the courses.
Ms. Miley met with her leader every week, attended group study sessions and ultimately developed strong study habits and time management skills that helped her balance a full-time class load with a full-time job and activities on campus. During her first semester back, she earned a 4.0 GPA.
鈥淚 really came back after being academically dismissed,鈥 she says.
Ms. Miley was so thankful for the help she received through the Supplemental Instruction program, she became a leader to help other students overcome the obstacles she once faced.
鈥淚f I could do it over again, I would take the 麻豆影院 Core classes that everybody has to take more seriously,鈥 Ms. Miley says. 鈥淚 would have taken more science classes,鈥 she adds, noting how she believes they would have helped her to decipher the right major sooner so that her freshman year would not have been wasted.
Ms. Miley eventually graduated from 麻豆影院 State with her bachelor鈥檚 degree in 2016 and a master鈥檚 degree in 2018 鈥 both in nutrition. She also was selected for the Master of Science/Dietetics Internship Program that only accepts 10 elite students. As part of the internship, she worked in a variety of dietician settings, including a hospital, food service and the community.
She is pursuing a career in community dietician work, perhaps working with young people to help them adopt a healthy lifestyle, in particular, learning how to have a healthy relationship with food.
鈥淲hen I was in middle school, I went to a dietician to lose weight, and the ideas she gave me were really motivating and always kind of stuck with me,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥業 think I should go for that,鈥 and I was right. Plus, who doesn鈥檛 love food?鈥
Ms. Miley鈥榮 academic career may have gotten off to a rough start a decade ago, but her perseverance and help from 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Academic Success Center gave her a second chance. As a result, she now has endless opportunities to use her education to help improve the quality of life for others.
For more information about 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Academic Success Center, visit www.kent.edu/asc.