WKU News

Ayanna Jones is a first-year student who grabs onto every opportunity she can. Her determined nature and discipline has taken her to unimaginable heights in her first semester. From Columbia, TN, Ayanna chose WKU because of its ideal distance from home and welcoming atmosphere. “WKU was the first school that I toured and fell in love with,” she said. She was drawn to the Mahurin Honors College because of the study abroad opportunities and the community.

Ayanna is a member of Catalyst Cohort, so she’s already begun to explore scholarship and location options that WKU Global and the Office of Scholar Development have to offer. Originally, she had her sights set on Semester at Sea, but it’s costly nature deterred her. Now, she’s considering completing a semester abroad or away in Tanzania, Italy, or Hawaii. Outside of being involved in Catalyst Cohort, she’s a member of Scholars of Color, and completed the first phase of the Dynamic Leadership Institute. “Nobody from school is here, so I had to start over,” she shared. “I’m looking to get more involved this semester and keep making new friends.”

Ayanna is a nursing major with aspirations to become a pediatric nurse. “I love helping kids,” she said. This love was passed down to her by her mom, an elementary school teacher. “I love going into her classroom any chance I can get,” she explained. “My mom, she’s my influencer for a lot of things.” But education wasn’t the path for her. She explored many different major options; her excellence in science and math led her to consider Engineering and Accounting. “None of it felt like what I really wanted to do,” she said thoughtfully.

 Eventually, she settled on nursing. “It felt more like me,” she said. Ayanna is currently a semester ahead of her studies due to taking college-level courses  in high school. As an involved freshman taking rigorous courses, she is very organized. “I’m super OCD,” she shared with a laugh, “I have to have everything out visually.” Her multiple calendars and planners are filled with reminders and this semester’s schedule.

Her path and involvement lead to her success in HON 251: Citizen and Self. All of the students in Honors 251 planned projects to engage with their communities in meaningful ways. "At first, I had no idea where to start," Ayanna admitted. "I knew I wanted to help people back home, but I wasn’t sure how. Originally, I was just going to do socks and shoes, but it grew into something much bigger."

With the help of Crystal Bohlander, an instructor of HON 251, Ayanna coordinated a clothing drive for the three schools she attended in her hometown. After contacting the school’s Family Resource Center, she was advised to make the fundraiser countywide so the donations can go towards more families. The expansion of her project was fueled even more when she discovered her county had no funding for family resources. “They didn’t have an account, so I created it,” she said. She sent out letters and flyers to local churches to help her meet her goals. Her initial goal was to raise $500-$1000 and collect around 100 donations. “I did that in a week,” she shared. “The project has exceeded my expectations.”

Currently, she’s raised approximately $14,000 worth of clothing and $5,000 in donations. These contributions have gone back to the schools and are already benefiting families. “The money has helped families do laundry and buy groceries after the fires back home,” she said. “It’s been a blessing to me, to bless others.” Ayanna is still collecting donations, and this will become a yearly fundraiser she coordinates. If you would like to donate, you can do so here at this link. In the description put “MCPS FRC Donation.” 

In her first semester alone, Ayanna has created a meaningful and sustainable impact on her community. As Ayanna reflected on the project, she advises other students to take action “If there is anything you want to do, change, or help people, just do it.” She has wanted to coordinate a project like this for a long time but never had the opportunity to carry it out until HON 251. Her biggest piece of advice to plan a project of this scale is to “get involved and get in contact with the right person. It will help you forever.”