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Jiya Alcorn is a prime example of how students can flourish at Kentucky State University (KSU). Despite stepping onto campus with no prior history or network, Alcorn persevered and set out to involve herself in multiple clubs and programs, making a lasting impact both on campus and beyond.

One stand-out experience she had was through her membership with the KSU chapter of Circle K International, a student-led community service organization with a primary focus on children in the community, founded by Kiwanis International. She began as an Event Planner, eventually increasing her responsibilities and rank until her present role as District Governor for the Kentucky-Tennessee District where she oversees the activities and expansion of Circle K International clubs in various colleges throughout the region.

As a Circle K International member, Alcorn frequently volunteered at the Kings Center in Frankfort where she tutored, mentored, and played with children, helping to inspire and encourage them.

“It’s a great experience to just be able to connect with like-minded individuals that like to give back and also want to learn how to be that mentor at a young age,” said Alcorn. “A lot of people think that being a mentor means you have to be a lot older, but you really don’t have to. It’s just a matter of wanting to get that experience and connect with someone younger than you and encourage them.”

Alcorn also had the opportunity to make an impact at events such as the annual Sharing is Caring event which welcomes children from disadvantaged backgrounds to receive gifts and celebrate the holiday season.

In addition to Circle K International, Alcorn was heavily involved in a variety of programs at KSU including Collegiate 100, Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Society, the KYSU Cheer Team, and the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), to name a few.

On campus, Alcorn flourished academically, earning multiple scholarships and participating in three internships.

“KSU really did help me with working and getting experience. I ended up having three internships, one every summer,” said Alcorn. “My last internship was with Farm Credit Mid-America…I got that through the [agriculture] classes that I was taking, so that was really cool to see the impact that you can get from having connections with staff members because that one was specifically through Dr. Bernard.”

Alcorn, who graduated in December 2024 with a B.A. in Business Administration and a concentration in Accounting and certificates in Agriculture Business Management and Entrepreneurship, has returned to KSU to begin her post-grad career. As Coordinator for Innovation, Research, and Sponsored Programs, Alcorn is deepening her knowledge on different aspects of finance, including grant writing.

“The job description had a lot of my strengths on it, so that’s why I was very drawn to apply to it, and also so I could gain more experience in the different financial areas,” said Alcorn. “With my last internship with Farm Credit Mid-America, it exposed me more to the finance loan side and I wanted to see, more broadly, all the different [sides to] accounting and finances rather than focusing strictly on accounting.”

She saw this new position as an opportunity to explore other avenues of accounting and finance, while also building skills she plans to use in a future career in financial risk management.

Alcorn encourages other students who are pursuing their dreams at KSU saying, “Keep going! It’s going to be so hard at times, but college is not easy, it was not made to be easy; it was made to help make you into a better a person and force you to learn who you are and who you want to be. Nothing good comes from things being easy, you have to put in work and it’s going to pay off.”