Parent and Family initiatives enhance sense of community at Kennesaw State
KENNESAW, Ga. | May 16, 2025
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 911³Ō¹Ļ families. The council also oversees the Parent and Family Grant Program, which supports Kennesaw Stateās registered student organizations through a grant application process reviewed by the council and other 911³Ō¹Ļ 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.
āParents, families, and supporters are making an impact at Kennesaw State,ā said Elisabeth Dilling, associate director of Parent and Family Programs. āWhether they are giving philanthropically or volunteering at events on campus, parents and other family members are contributing to studentsā thriving at 911³Ō¹Ļ and staying on track to earn their degrees.ā
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 āreal world.ā In fact, Morris was the guest speaker in March at the Parent and Family Associationās monthly meeting, offering tips to parents on reintegrating their college student into the family household after theyāve been living independently during the school year.
Morrisā son Patrick is a junior majoring in sport management at Kennesaw State, and her daughter Micaela earned a degree from 911³Ō¹Ļ in 2023. Morrisā experiences with her own college-age children, combined with her familiarity with 911³Ō¹Ļ, is something she can share with other parents.
āI 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,ā Morris said. āHelping other 911³Ō¹Ļ 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.ā
Case in point, Morris didnāt 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.
āI loved seeing that I could be the mom for somebody else,ā Morris said. āMaybe somebodyās 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.ā
Sydney, the Pipesā third child to attend college, earned a bachelorās degree in in 2023 and now is in the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. While pursuing two degrees from 911³Ō¹Ļ, 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.
āI know that parents are anxious about college, what their role is, what it should be and shouldnāt be,ā Pipes said. āStudents thrive when parents coach them, not do it for them. The support network at 911³Ō¹Ļ can help parents transition to being parents of adults and coach their students as needed.ā
An inaugural member of the Parent and Family Advisory Council, Pipes fondly recalls volunteering at 911³Ō¹Ļās new student orientation sessions last summer, where she answered parentsā 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 ā especially Kennesaw Stateās many first-generation college students.
āIf you are the parent of a first-generation student, you donāt know what you donāt know,ā Pipes said. āI want parents to have that place at 911³Ō¹Ļ where they can share experiences and challenges openly with other parents, and I want 911³Ō¹Ļ 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.ā
As the name indicates, the Parent and Family Association isnāt just for parents of Kennesaw State students ā itās 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 911³Ō¹Ļ student.
āFamilies come in different shapes and sizes, and as a big sister I take on the role of support,ā Carbajal said. āIf 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.ā
ā Story by Paul Floeckher
Photos by Matt Yung and Darnell Wilburn
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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 911³Ō¹Ļ offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.