What pushes students to do their best even when they’re at their worst? Who urges them to never give up? Inspiration, whether in the form of a person, place or pet, helps the students of Kent State believe in themselves and become the next generation of leaders.

Leaders don’t have to be famous. Alexandra Bodie, junior psychology major, said that her biggest inspiration comes from her mom.

“She’s the strongest and most caring person I know,” Bodie said.

When Bodie was younger, she lived in Illinois. Her mother decided that it was best for Bodie to live closer to the rest of her family in Ohio.

“She had a great life in Illinois, but she gave it up for me,” Bodie said.

Another huge inspiration for Bodie is music. Listening to Bayside, a punk rock band, helps her recover after a bad day.

“The songs I rock out to are about people treating you bad and rising above it,” she said.

Tyler Ross, freshman sports administration major, finds inspiration in many places. He not only goes to school, but also plays hockey and does stand-up comedy. To help with his comedy career, Ross listens to a lot of comedy grabs including Eddie Murphy and Mitch Hedberg.

When it comes to hockey, his family is his biggest supporters, he said. He enjoys playing because he knows his family enjoys watching him play.

“The same goes for my stand-up,” Ross said. He likes doing stand-up knowing that other people are having fun listening to him.

When Ross feels like giving up, he finds hope in the victories. The wins in hockey or the cheers of the crowd make up for the bad times, he said.

Not everyone needs to find inspiration through the lives of others. Kelsey Dybo, sophomore biology major, said that college is all about finding herself.

“As I get older, I want to build on what I want to be,” she said.

Other people’s lives aren’t the exact paths she wants to take. She wants to find her own. Dybo said sometimes a role model can unknowingly push his or her lifestyle on others. Because of that, some people end up striving to be something they can’t, she said. That doesn’t mean Dybo will never find someone to look up to.

“I’m still looking for a person to be a shining light to me,” she said.

Contact Rachel Hagenbaugh at [email protected].