Lunch and Speaker Presentation
Speaker Thea Smekens, Director Bishop Elevate, First-Generation Student Success
Presentation Title: Elevating First-Generation Student Support at OWU
Thea Smekens, Director of Bishop Elevate, First-Generation Student Success at Ohio Wesleyan University, brings personal insight to her role as a first-generation college graduate from Northeast Indiana. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Literature and minors in Psychology and Professional Writing from the University of Saint Francis, followed by a Masters of Arts in English in Higher Education Administration from McKendree University.
Before assuming her current position, Smekens built extensive experience in student affairs, including nine years working in Residential Life and Student Housing across four different campuses. From 2015 to 2018, she served as a Residential Life Coordinator at Ohio Wesleyan University. In her current role, she leads initiatives to support and empower first-generation college students throughout their academic journey, developing and implementing comprehensive programs designed to enhance the first-generation student experience, provide academic and social support, and help students successfully navigate the challenges of college life. Thea resides in Columbus with her dog, Rocky, and enjoys reading, listening to podcasts and beekeeping.
Special Thank you to Elizabeth Long Downey '06 on being our hostess at the Scioto Country Club for this special event.