Jonathan Kleinhenz is an Upcoming Graduate of Ashland University

2014 Feb 3

Cincinnati resident Jonathan Kleinhenz, who is a student at Ashland University double majoring in psychology and public relations, has fit in well with the busy student lifestyle on the AU campus.

Kleinhenz, a senior at the Ashland, Ohio, private university, is a 2009 graduate of Walnut Hills High School. Kleinhenz has been active in many student organizations on campus, including being a past swimmer on the AU men's swim team and being actively involved with his fraternity.

As he reflected on his years at Ashland University, Kleinhenz thought about a number of his accomplishments. "My biggest accomplishments at Ashland vary by subjects. In swimming, I was an All-American my freshman and sophomore years. For academics, I've qualified for the dean's list and have been a part of some very cool projects in the Communication Department. And finally, my involvement with the Kappa Sigma Fraternity has been a terrific accomplishment -- being the founding president of our chapter was an incredible part of my life and I'm extremely fortunate to have had that leadership opportunity. Having Kappa Sigma for the last year and a half of my time at college has made them the best semesters here by far," Kleinhenz said.

Not only was Kleinhenz overly active within these areas, he also enjoyed getting to know as many people as possible. "Getting to know the freshman and underclassmen is a huge joy to me. My advice to any upperclassmen at any school is to make sure you share your experiences -- both the good and the bad," he said. "If you can inspire those younger than you, then you can also teach them. Just think of how awesome you seniors would have been as a freshman if you knew then what you know now."

Kleinhenz also said he is very pleased with his decision he made his senior year of high school to attend Ashland University. "My favorite thing about Ashland is that the experience is whatever you make it. It's a small enough school that if you really want to make a difference you can. I think the majority of the student body doesn't realize how many opportunities there are to make Ashland more of what you'd like to see," he said. "While some feel like there's nothing to do around here I think it means that there's just more opportunities to do what we want." He also was very impressed with the academic program at Ashland University. He explained how he was able to learn about numerous areas of study even though he is majoring in psychology and public relations. He has had opportunities to take classes in areas such as economics, philosophy, marketing and Spanish. "Going to a liberal arts school has allowed me to become multifaceted with my general knowledge, but at the same time allowed me to excel in my major areas," Kleinhenz said.

Kleinhenz will graduate this May and is putting together his plans for the future. "After school I'll be working in Cincinnati, either looking for a marketing or PR job near home. The plan is to do that for two years before trying to get elected to the district 8 as the Ohio district representative," Kleinhenz said.

"For future college students, I would offer this. School is going to be exactly what you make it. There are so many opportunities for you to excel, lead and change. Take advantage of your resources like the writing lab, free tutors, huge databases, free counseling and resume instructions. Just keep in mind that nothing is set in stone, anything you truly believe needs to change can be changed, so go after it."

Ashland University, which has been ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.