Bolen not a quitter
Anna Altwies, ESU Media Relations
Originally published 02:40 p.m., June 26, 2008
Updated 02:40 p.m., June 26, 2008
On her very first day on the Emporia State University campus, her car broke down, her financial aid was lost and she was ready to call it quits. Twenty-three years later though, Kristin Bolen, associate director of Project Challenge/TRIO Programs, is still here.
Bolen not only did not quit as a student at ESU, but after getting her undergraduate degree and master’s degree from ESU, she came back to work at Emporia State, and has now been an employee for 17 years.
Bolen is one of May’s You Make a Difference Award recipients.
Through the Project Challenge/TRIO Programs at ESU, Bolen works with first-generation college students.
“I do academic advising for first-year freshmen who are in our program,” Bolen said. “I assist students with personal and stress-related concerns, provide advising and resources for those students who are uncertain about majors and/or career selections and assist students in locating and applying for potential scholarships. In many ways, if the student does not know where to go to find the answer to a question, they come see us first.”
One of the students she has impacted is Kelli Coble, who nominated her for the You Make a Difference Award. In her nomination, Coble attributed much of her success as a student to Bolen.
“She acts as an advocate on [students’] behalf and works to get things done,” Coble said. “She serves as an advisor, mentor and teacher to many students and there isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t profoundly impact someone’s life. Without her guidance and assistance, I would not be the student I am today.”
While she was a student, Bolen considered leaving school many times. She was impacted, though, by the people she knew throughout campus and was persuaded to stay. As a result, she knows what it feels like to be in her students’ shoes and she knows what to do to help keep them on track.
“The person who helped me during my first day on campus is the reason I stayed at ESU,” Bolen said. But since that time, Bolen said she has found many people on campus who have influenced her life.
“Throughout my college career there were many times I felt like I wanted to leave school but there was always someone there to encourage, support and listen to me. I remind myself of how others helped me as a student and I try to return the same consideration to other students who might be going through similar situations.”
“It’s a great honor for me to receive this award,” she said. “It gives me a lot of pride in knowing that I have had an impact on someone. We do not always have the opportunity of seeing that we have made a difference for someone.”