NOVA Student Success Stories

NOVA Academic Spotlight > Student Success Stories

Kishonna Gray

Kishonna was in the NOVA Program from 2001-2005 when she graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Since then she has completed an MS in Criminal Justice at EKU as well as a PhD at Arizona State University. Kishonna is a self-proclaimed “lifelong academic” who once had a 9-5 job and hated it. She is now an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice here at EKU, “I have come full circle-started here and will hopefully retire here. I love EKU!”

Kishonna credits the NOVA program for providing her with an abundance of resources to achieve her academic goals. “I hear that TRIO programs are on the funding chopping block. It is sad that programs that actually help and work are the first ones to go. I hope they find money somewhere.”

She went on to pursue a graduate degree with the help of the McNair program (a sister TRIO program) and Rich Richmond. Her current mentor, Pete Kraska, was also her advisor when she was an undergrad. When he asked if Kishonna was applying to graduate school, Kishonna had no idea what graduate school was but said yes anyway. Kishonna went straight to her NOVA advisor to get details and was pointed to McNair. Kishonna said about McNair, “The program was just starting then but it proved to be so beneficial to my success. And I am so thankful it is still guiding young minds to greatness."

Christal Ramsey

At the beginning of Fall 2010 Christal was accepted to and began the occupational therapy program. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Science and is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association. She ended her last semester with a 4.0 and her overall GPA was a 3.8. Wow! In November 2011, she used her creative thinking skills to help present a poster about working with persons who are diagnosed with Mental illness and teaching them life skills.  

Recently she began her first rotation of level II field work and will have another rotation of field work before her next certification exam in theSummer/Fall of 2012. She hopes to be able to receive a job offer at one of her fieldwork placements but if that does not work out she has a backup plan to work in Central Kentucky on geriatrics or hand therapy. Christal also has a younger brother in the NOVA program, Jonathan Ramsey. She says “being in NOVA was very beneficial for me when I started EKU, because I had classes with the same students and everyone on the NOVA team was super helpful so I wanted Jonathan to have that same experience. Christal exhibits exactly what being a NOVA Alumni is all about.