The May 4th Legacy Scholarship Program was established by 性福五月天 University in 2020, and provides four scholarships to be given to students majoring in our Peace and Conflict Studies program. Each scholarship bears the name of one of the students killed (Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder) to serve as a lasting testament to their lives and presence at 性福五月天.
Below are profiles of the scholarship recipients since the creation of this award.
May 4th Legacy Scholars for AY 2024-25
Grace Powers received the Allison Krause May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
A鈥檏yra Holley received the Jeffrey Miller May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Payton Blake received the Sandy Scheuer May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
There was no recipient of the Bill Schroeder scholarship in 2025.
May 4th Legacy Scholars for AY 2023-24
Amanda Chanter received the Allison Krause May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Amanda is a second-year undergraduate student from Lakewood, Ohio. Her introduction to PACS came upon taking an introductory course in 2022; "I鈥檝e been dedicated to studying and practicing building positive peace since," she writes. "The School of Peace and Conflict Studies has been an amazing outlet for me to use my skills in connecting with people and building my community." That an event that took place in a small town in Ohio could so deeply impact the entire country speaks volumes to Amanda, who places great value on the positive impact she or any individual person can have on the people around her: "seeing the impact that these students had on the world reinforced that what we do matters, even if we don鈥檛 see it in the moment." The greatest takeaway she has received from learning about May 4 has been its influence on shaping her personal values as she strives to "make the world a better and more accessible place for everyone living here." She continues, "I鈥檓 privileged to be in the position I am, and I鈥檓 honored to be given this opportunity."
Amanda plans to graduate in December 2023 with her BA in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Justin "JT" Politzer received the Jeffrey Miller May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
JT is a second year Master's student in the School of Peace and Conflict Studies. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, JT was aware of the events of May 4th, but first began to deeply understand them after taking the May 4th and its Aftermath class in the School of Peace and Conflict Studies. Having previous experience in campus activism, queer activism, and involvement in social movements, the lessons of May 4th resonate with his values of social justice and civic responsibility. Throughout his time in Kent, JT has taken advantage of the many opportunities offered through the School of Peace and Conflict Studies, including the Growing Democracy Project, the Colombia Study Abroad program, and various student groups. "The memory of May 4th is a continual call to work towards a more peaceful world by listening to our better angels, and to accept our responsibility in our own lives to bring about positive social change," writes JT. "This award both motivates me to strive further and greatly aides me in pursuing my path forward." He had taken the lessons he has learned and continues to learn from May 4th forward with him in his research and writing on peace, queerness, religion, and their intersectionality.
JT plans to graduate in May 2025 with his Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Sarah Vorndran received the Sandra Scheuer May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Sarah is not only a second-year undergraduate student at 性福五月天 but the daughter of two alumni, which she claims instilled in her a longterm awareness of the events of May 4, 1970. Upon arriving to campus, she found herself moved by the May 4 Visitors Center and the annual candlelight vigil held every May 3 by the May 4 Task Force. She eventually became involved in on-campus activism, advocating for the completion of the May 4 memorial as a member of 性福五月天's now-defunct, historic chapter of Students for a Democratic Society. These experiences encouraged her to study PACS, she writes, "as I think it is not only important to remember past conflicts, but also to work towards conflict resolution both in our daily lives". In the face of an "increasingly polarized" world, she believes that the values the School of Peace and Conflict Studies instills are essential "to ensure that senseless political massacres like May 4th never happen again."
She plans to graduate with her bachelor's degree in the spring of 2026. Though she is unsure of what her future holds, she pledges to continue her worldly education through advocacy and learning from others.
Chris Abou-Elias received the William Schroeder May 4th Legacy Scholarship
Chris Abou-Elias is a junior at 性福五月天 from Akron, Ohio, majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. Since graduating high school, Chris has been involved in many organizations and actions both on and off campus. Growing up Arab and queer, Chris knew that they had to work with others to secure a peaceful future for all. Throughout their studies at Kent, they learned about the implications of May 4th as a demonstration of collective power, despite the tragedy that occurred. And while tragedies persist, like those affecting Palestinians today, Chris recognizes the legacy of the students' power surrounding May 4th that extends to the present. As a recipient of the William Schroeder May 4 Legacy Scholarship Award, Chris plans to continue their small part in liberation and peace for all oppressed groups.
Congratulations to all four scholarship recipients!
May 4th Legacy Scholars for AY 2022-23
Leah Bruce received the Allison Krause May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
From Crestline, Ohio, Leah came to 性福五月天 University as an exploratory pre-major. She decided to take Introduction to Conflict Management and within the year declared Peace and Conflict Studies. In her first semester, Leah visited the May 4th Visitors Center and the memorial to the shooting and was deeply moved, writing that 鈥渋t was baffling to think that students advocating, protesting and using their rights to have their voices heard were targeted and intimidated to keep silent.鈥 She has since gone on to use her position as a Student Success Leader to spark conversations regarding May 4th, "the importance of our history as 性福五月天 students and the legacy we leave" with others, which she is extremely proud of: "Within a year I went from being in my students' shoes to actually being the one leading these kinds of discussions. It was a full-circle moment and I learned even more through the eyes of my students.鈥
In the future, Leah wants to bring about peaceful change by becoming more involved in programs that she feels passionate about: women鈥檚 reproductive rights, food insecurity, and supporting underserved schools.
Christian Heller received the Jeffrey Miller May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Christian is a second year student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania studying Peace and Conflict Studies with minors in political science and sociology. Born into a working class, union environment to a single mother and raised by his caring grandparents, Christian has devoted himself to pursuing a career in activism. He serves as the chair of 性福五月天 Students for a Democratic Society, a historic group on campus that was instrumental in the local anti-war movement that led up to the events of May 4, 1970; under their banner, he has organized around student issues such as dietary restrictions, worker鈥檚 wages, reproductive rights, and opposing Ohio Senate Bill 83. He has also planned May 4th commemorative events for Kent SDS surrounding police violence, international justice and solidarity, indigenous rights and activism, and memorializing May 4th.
Christian will use this scholarship money to further his education in Peace and Conflict Studies so that he can pursue his goals of helping others. He plans to attend law school to pursue a career in labor and employment law with hopes of serving the resurgent labor movement as a union organizer.
Addison Thompson received the Sandra Scheuer May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Addi is a third-year undergraduate student double majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies and child psychology with a minor in human development and family studies. She began her time at Kent studying only psychology, but after taking an introductory PACS class, she quickly devoted herself to the field, crediting her professor for the course, Jacquelyn Bleak, with encouraging her to do so. Her passion for helping others and finding peace contribute not only to the honor she feels to receive Sandy's scholarship but her work towards bringing a mediation club back to campus with the help and guidance of PACS professors and other PACS students.
Addi plans to graduate in the Spring of 2025 with her dual bachelor of arts and hopes to enter the mental health counseling field. She plans to utilize the skills she has learned through PACS in all of her future job and life endeavors.
Isaac Halaszi received the William Schroeder May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Isaac is a fourth year Peace and Conflict Studies student and the co-founder and current president of the Peace and Conflict Studies student organization. He is very active throughout numerous facets of 性福五月天's campus community, remaining dedicated to making meaningful change through leadership and organizing with his peers. His activism has also crossed international borders through his participation in PACS's Colombia study abroad trip and Rwanda conference on peace education.
As an upcoming graduate, Isaac hopes to continue building community across Northeast Ohio, connecting 性福五月天's campus to other organizations of change.
Congratulations to all four scholarship recipients!
May 4th Legacy Scholars for AY 2021-22
Jordan (Jo) Cottrill received the Allison Krause May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Jo is a third-year undergraduate student who has spent all of her life living in Northeast Ohio. She has always been aware of the events of May 4th because of her physical proximity to the university, but it was her research work at 性福五月天 that allowed her to become more deeply connected to it. In 2021, Jo was an intern for local grassroots organization Growing Democracy (co-led by 性福五月天 professors Dr. Ashley Nickels and Dr. Casey Boyd-Swan), where some of her major contributions included online concept pages about the events of both May 4th and the Jackson State shootings. Jo writes, "I undertook a substantial amount of research to detail the chronology and impacts of each event, and it was largely through this process that the gravity of May 4th was cemented for me." As a research assistant for Dr. Sara Koopman, she has also helped create a walking tour for the Mapping May 4 project, an online oral history of the events leading up to and during that day. "I spent several hours listening to all of the stories to determine which to include in the tour, doing much of my work while sitting outside on campus. Listening to the first-hand accounts while being surrounded by the very spaces being discussed was a poignant reminder for me that May 4th and the people affected by it are not as far away as it may sometimes seem." Jo prioritizes carrying all of the lessons she's learned from May 4th into her future research and writing on peace and violence.
Jo plans to graduate in December 2023 with her BA in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Kouame Bouazi received the Jeffrey Miller May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Kouame Constant Bouazi has been a student in Peace and Conflict Studies since Spring 2021. He arrived in the United States in October 2015 from C么te d'Ivoire. Kouame talks about how his background has shaped his current path: "I am a lover of peace and a peace activist because of coming from a country that has experienced a military-politico crisis for 20 years. I have given myself the mission of becoming an ambassador for peace, hence my choice of this major. I had to give up business technology, my previous major, to fulfill my passion of working for peace and a better world. Peace is not an empty word but a behavior. In Cote d'Ivoire I was a volunteer teacher as part of my peace effort in 2006 to 2008 for war-displaced children and adults in areas under government control. Today studying Peace and Conflict Resolution is the biggest accomplishment of my life. It is a great joy to accept the Jeffrey Miller May 4th Legacy Scholarship award."
Melissa Wallick received the Sandra Scheuer May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
From Medina, Ohio, Melissa is a recent transfer into the School of Peace and Conflict Studies. She found this major after taking a PACS intro course, which left a profound impact on her life. Having a passion for caring and connecting with others, Melissa is excited to see where this experience takes her. She is honored to receive this scholarship as the events of May 4th have special meaning to her as she explains, 鈥淢y grandmother was a student here and my great uncle visited the campus in the aftermath. Their stories are a reminder that while life is so fragile, we are immensely powerful and strong when we come together.鈥
She will utilize this generous scholarship in the fall to work towards her degree. She looks forward to growing as a student and person in the SPCS program and promoting peace and change here at Kent and throughout her life.
Ekklesia Jenkins received the William Schroeder May 4th Legacy Scholarship
Ekklesia Jenkins transferred to Kent in Spring 2020, after obtaining a certificate in Conflict Resolution & Peace Studies and her Associate of Arts degree at Cuyahoga Community College. Ekklesia explains: "I chose to transfer to 性福五月天 University because of my major and the history of May 4th. Reflecting, if I did not major in Peace and Conflict Studies, I probably wouldn鈥檛 know much about May 4th at all because the information isn鈥檛 as accessible as it could be. Making resources accessible for the masses is an aspiration of mine. I believe through technology I can impact the most people; so, I will be pursuing inclusive product design after graduation this summer. I want to make sure that products are inclusive, accessible, and sustainable; In hopes of improving people鈥檚 quality of life, including my own."
Ekklesia plans to graduate in Summer 2022 with her BA in Peace and Conflict Studies; with a minor in Human Sexuality.
Congratulations to all four scholarship recipients!
May 4th Legacy Scholars for AY 2020-21
Deborah Belintani Rosa, senior, received the Allison Krause May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Deborah, born and raised in Brazil, has been active both in her home country and in the US in working for social and environmental justice and human rights. Since coming to 性福五月天 and learning more about May 4, she feels a deep connection to the students who were there in 1970. When attending protests, both here and in her native Brazil, Deborah says, 鈥渆very single time, I keep thinking that I would be there 50 years ago; it could have been me.鈥 While at 性福五月天, Deborah has interned with the International Institute of Akron and continues to work with the Office of Global Initiatives at 性福五月天 Stark. She recently served as moderator for the virtual public talk given by Nobel Peace Laureate Rigoberta Mench煤 Tum on Friday, April 30, and was actively involved in organizing and facilitating the PeaceJam conference on Saturday, May 1, as well as assisting with other events over the past few years. As Deborah explains, 鈥淚 want to use the privilege that I have to pursue my academic studies in the United States to give a voice to those that need to be heard, and to create a peaceful change in all the communities that I am or have been a part of, in Brazil, the U.S or any other country through activism and nonviolence.鈥
Deborah expects to graduate in Spring 2021 with her BA in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Jeremy Ritch, junior, received the Jeffrey Miller May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Jeremy is a nontraditional student who transferred to 性福五月天 in Fall 2020 after earning a certificate in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies from Cuyahoga Community College. Growing up, Jeremy learned about May 4 from his parents, and was profoundly impacted. Jeremy explains, 鈥淭he events of May 4th, 1970 are forever in my mind because my parents were on campus鈥 the day before the shootings. He goes on to say, 鈥淭he Vietnam War was a very real part of my family鈥檚 history, both as we had relatives serving but also my parents losing many friends. The day holds a deep cultural significance as well to my life as a kid growing up in Ohio, who was drawn into the social justice areas of life.鈥 As a result, Jeremy has a long history of activism over the years, stating that 鈥渁s an adult I have committed myself to peace, through direct action, creative process, and educating myself.鈥
Jeremy is a junior majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies with a minor in Creative Writing.
Margaret Straub, senior, received the Sandra Scheuer May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Margi Straub has a passion for communication and connecting with others, and found that the School of Peace and Conflict Studies provided the perfect channel for her to further develop those skills. As she explains, 鈥溾 my major has taught me that at the core of communication are the values of human connection, human needs, human rights, and social justice.鈥 During her time here at 性福五月天 she has been actively involved in helping with many of the School of Peace and Conflict Studies鈥 events (including recruiting new students) and co-founded the student organization Peace and Conflict Students (PACS). 鈥淚 am honored and excited to now be the president of this organization and I work diligently to promote peace, activism, and education through this organization鈥檚 events.鈥 Margi鈥檚 leadership skills have not gone unnoticed. In Spring 2020, she received the Ohio Peace and Conflict Studies Network Leader Recognition Award, and she has been selected to received the A&S Distinguished Student Leader award for the School of Peace and Conflict Studies this year. Margi plans to go into human resource management with a focus on labor relations.
Margi expects to graduate in Spring 2021 with her BA in Applied Conflict Management (and a minor in Human Resource Management).
Lucas E. Steinkamp, senior, received the William Schroeder May 4th Legacy Scholarship.
Lucas Steinkamp is driven by a desire to help others. As a Peace and Conflict Studies major, he was initially interested in entering the ministry, and says, 鈥淲hen I came to Kent, I was already seeking to live a life that fostered peace.鈥 During his time in college, his career goals shifted, but his commitment to helping others has remained a consistent theme. He worked for the KSU police, held student leader positions at H2O church Kent, and was a member of the Provost Leadership Academy. He interned at Brunswick High School training students in the basics of conflict resolution and building the foundation of a peer mediation program.
Lucas utilized his scholarship in the fall to complete his BA in Applied Conflict Management (with a minor in Criminology and Justice Studies), graduating in December 2020. Lucas is currently preparing to enter paramedic school, and plans to become a Firefighter/Paramedic. As he explains, 鈥淢y aim is to give peace, to aid those in need and give them someone to talk to in their darkest hours. I want to use my unique position to be an opportunity to bridge between my fellow first responders in blue and the community they serve.鈥
Congratulations to all four scholarship recipients!