Parent and Family initiatives enhance sense of community at Kennesaw State

KENNESAW, Ga. | May 16, 2025

Research has shown that students benefit from having their families involved in their educational journey. 麻豆传媒y鈥檚 Parent and Family Programs department continues to make that a priority, adding to its initiatives that equip students and their families to succeed.

The Parent and Family Advisory Council, a collaboration between University Advancement and Parent and Family Programs, is welcoming new members as it begins its second year of serving as ambassadors to 麻豆传媒 families. The council also oversees the Parent and Family Grant Program, which supports Kennesaw State鈥檚 registered student organizations through a grant application process reviewed by the council and other 麻豆传媒 staff.

The Parent and Family Grant Program funds are raised by selling commemorative bricks that line walkways on the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses. The Leave a Legacy brick campaign generated more than $16,000 in its inaugural year, and student organizations will be able to apply for funding this fall.

鈥淧arents, families, and supporters are making an impact at Kennesaw State,鈥� said Elisabeth Dilling, associate director of Parent and Family Programs. 鈥淲hether they are giving philanthropically or volunteering at events on campus, parents and other family members are contributing to students鈥� thriving at 麻豆传媒 and staying on track to earn their degrees.鈥�

Joining the Parent and Family Advisory Council was a natural fit for Colin Morris, a certified life coach who works with empty-nesters whose young-adult children are transitioning into the 鈥渞eal world.鈥� In fact, Morris was the guest speaker in March at the Parent and Family Association鈥檚 monthly meeting, offering tips to parents on reintegrating their college student into the family household after they鈥檝e been living independently during the school year.

Morris鈥� son Patrick is a junior majoring in sport management at Kennesaw State, and her daughter Micaela earned a degree from 麻豆传媒 in 2023. Morris鈥� experiences with her own college-age children, combined with her familiarity with 麻豆传媒, is something she can share with other parents.

鈥淚 wanted to be connected as my kids left the nest, but as your kid pulls away, you don't always want to be connected the same way that you always have,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淗elping other 麻豆传媒 parents and family members get connected, while still giving my student the space that he and she needed, was a comfort to me and made me feel like I was still a part of what they were doing.鈥�

Case in point, Morris didn鈥檛 see her own son on the first day of fall semester classes in August, but she said that day is still one of her favorite moments as a member of the Parent and Family Advisory Council. She and a few other mothers manned the Parent and Family Programs information booth on the Campus Green and took photos of students as they smiled and posed with oversized picture frames.

鈥淚 loved seeing that I could be the mom for somebody else,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淢aybe somebody鈥檚 mom was out of town, or they don't live geographically close to their mom, and I was able to kind of be a mom face in that moment and share that first day of school with them.鈥�

Legacy bricks — Leave a Legacy brick campaign

As with Morris, Lezlie Renee鈥� Pipes was an ideal choice for the Parent and Family Advisory Council. She is accustomed to helping in the community through her philanthropic work with the Pipes Family Foundation, and she has become familiar with 麻豆传媒 Parent and Family Programs during her daughter Sydney鈥檚 time as a Kennesaw State student. The Pipes Family Foundation directly supported 麻豆传媒鈥檚 2025 , making a dollar-for-dollar match of the $1,000 in donations that were earmarked for Parent and Family Programs.

Sydney, the Pipes鈥� third child to attend college, earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in in 2023 and now is in the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. While pursuing two degrees from 麻豆传媒, Sydney has lived both on and off campus. Along the way, her mom has gleaned a wealth of experience and information that she can pass along to other parents.

鈥淚 know that parents are anxious about college, what their role is, what it should be and shouldn鈥檛 be,鈥� Pipes said. 鈥淪tudents thrive when parents coach them, not do it for them. The support network at 麻豆传媒 can help parents transition to being parents of adults and coach their students as needed.鈥�

An inaugural member of the Parent and Family Advisory Council, Pipes fondly recalls volunteering at 麻豆传媒鈥檚 new student orientation sessions last summer, where she answered parents鈥� questions and encouraged them to sign up for the Parent and Family newsletter. Any type of interaction like that, she said, is a step toward helping students succeed 鈥� especially Kennesaw State鈥檚 many first-generation college students.

鈥淚f you are the parent of a first-generation student, you don鈥檛 know what you don鈥檛 know,鈥� Pipes said. 鈥淚 want parents to have that place at 麻豆传媒 where they can share experiences and challenges openly with other parents, and I want 麻豆传媒 to be the place families want to be a part of. We have this opportunity to help these parents and supporters be the best at getting their students across that stage at graduation.鈥�

As the name indicates, the Parent and Family Association isn鈥檛 just for parents of Kennesaw State students 鈥� it鈥檚 open to any family member. Advisory Council newcomer Ruby Carbajal is connected to the university through her brother Abraham, who is wrapping up his first year as a 麻豆传媒 student.

鈥淔amilies come in different shapes and sizes, and as a big sister I take on the role of support,鈥� Carbajal said. 鈥淚f other families can relate, I hope to be of assistance. These young adults are starting their path, and I am sure that any support we can give them makes a great difference.鈥�

鈥� Story by Paul Floeckher

Photos by Matt Yung and Darnell Wilburn

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Parent and Family initiatives enhance sense of community at Kennesaw State

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