KENNESAW, Ga. | Jul 25, 2022

Kennesaw State University student Dana London believes that curiosity and wisdom are among the greatest assets anyone can possess. By following that notion, the sophomore accounting major has earned a leadership position with an international organization.

London is the first Kennesaw State student to serve on the ACUI – Advancing Campus Community Board of Trustees. The organization is one of the oldest associations in higher education, focused on representing student activity centers and student unions. Each year, ACUI selects one student member from across its member institutions to serve on its board, and London was selected for 2022, representing thousands of other student center workers in the U.S., Australia, Ireland, Qatar, Bermuda, Guam and Puerto Rico.

As a member of the board, London will gain professional development through leadership training, strategic planning, networking with mentors and learning about trends and issues facing student unions. 

“Her poise, presence, sense of self and advocacy for the student experience positioned her as a phenomenal representative of KSU and the student members of ACUI,” said Eric Arneson, Kennesaw State’s vice president for student affairs.

ACUI is focused on representing student activity centers and student unions by creating, advancing and promoting campus community. As a member of the board, London will gain professional development through leadership training, strategic planning, networking with mentors and learning about trends and issues facing student unions. 

“ACUI is fortunate to have Dana serving on the board, sharing her talents and insight as a student,” said ACUI CEO John Taylor. “I’ve been very impressed with how quickly she has been engaged as a new board member.”

London said she is grateful for the opportunity to be an ACUI trustee.

“It is an honor to be representing the University and exemplifying the professionalism and excellence that KSU instills in its students,” London said. “I count it as a privilege to represent the international student body by using my position to voice students’ challenges and concerns.”

An international student originally from Guyana, London enrolled at Kennesaw State in Spring 2021 and has been a student employee in the Carmichael Student Center on the University’s Kennesaw campus. Now serving as the lead student facility manager, she manages the lost and found, student information desk and student assistant hub, and supports events hosted in the student center.

“I enjoy my coworkers and they are like a family to me,” she said. “We have a cohesive team at Kennesaw State, and we bolster each other’s strengths.”

London was encouraged to grow her skills beyond her on-campus job by her KSU supervisor, Jennifer Tesch, who helped her connect to ACUI and led to London’s involvement at the regional, national and international levels. 

Now, London facilitates discussion among student colleagues from across the U.S. and Ireland, discussing the importance that student unions play in college experiences. One of her most memorable experiences was moderating a student panel session at the ACUI conference in Chicago earlier this year. In the session, students shared their direct and unfiltered triumphs, challenges and opportunities for campuses emerging from COVID-19. 

In addition to her ACUI role, London serves on the Coles College of Business Student Advisory Board, where she provides critical feedback, new insights and advice to solve problems and explore new opportunities for Kennesaw State business students and discusses issues with deans and department heads. 

“I am gaining valuable hands-on experience on what it takes to manage a successful organization behind-the-scenes while building meaningful relationships with industry professionals,” London said about her ACUI experience. “This will be important in my accounting career as well since I will be involved in the behind-the-scenes of an organization from the financial perspective.”

She already has put much of the knowledge and experience gained through ACUI into use as she interns with Ernst & Young this summer.

– Ana Johnson
Photos by Judith Pishnery

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 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 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.