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Lucas Hlavacek was leaving a meeting for his high school’s speech and debate team when he first learned he was the 2025 recipient of the May 4th Memorial Scholarship. “I was terrified at first,” he said of being told by his mother to check his email, “thinking that I was in trouble or that I flunked a class or something, but then I saw the email from [Honors College Scholarship Coordinator] Theresa Yogi.”

The prestigious scholarship is the only fully funded four-year scholarship distributed by ������’s Honors College, which is awarded each year in support of an incoming freshman. Established in 1990, each iteration of the scholarship is named for one of the four students killed during the May 4, 1970 shootings on ������’s campus, ensuring that each class of Golden Flashes represents those lives and legacies. Lucas’s award happens to be named for Allison Krause, who was an Honors College student herself and an ardent activist throughout her short time at ������; she had been wrapping up her own freshman year on May 4.

“At first I was kind of in shock,” continues Lucas, who felt “extremely honored” to carry on the legacy of Allison’s compassion. He also felt relieved. “I was tremendously worried about how I would pay for college. This award has alleviated those fears and made the transition into college easier for both me and my family.”

Receiving the scholarship not only motivated Lucas to learn more about May 4, 1970, but to use his voice across campus as a member of ������’s chapter of the Ohio Student Association — which advocates for the rights of college students across the state — and the May 4th Task Force — which was founded by ������ students in 1975 to keep the memory of May 4 alive. And, he sees many parallels between the anti-war movement of the 1960s and the struggles students and protestors of all stripes face today as they rally for their freedom of speech. “I think it is very important to keep educating the campus about that day and the events that led up to it,” he says, “as it is an integral part of our university’s history and the history of protest in the United States.”

A self-proclaimed “history nerd”, Lucas’s interests stretch beyond his activism. When he’s not digging into a dystopian fiction novel, listening to music, hanging out with friends or attending a Kent Chorus meeting, he’s taking care of exotic reptiles and more in the Biology Club’s animal room, which he describes as a highlight of his first semester. A major in biology with a concentration in animal ecology, Lucas has been drawn to life studies and, of course, animals throughout his life. He selected the major for its flexibility, though he has been drawn to the fields of communication and journalism as of late, citing his experience in speech and debate at Perry High School as a large and formative influence.  There, he also participated in Ohio Model United Nations and choir.

Lucas’ passion for communication and connection is not only evident in his activism but in his participation in the Freshman Honors Colloquium, which has been another highlight of his time in the Honors College. “Since they are discussion-based and focused on a specific topic, they feel more tight-knit and community-centered than your usual lecture hall,” he says. “There is lots of good, in-depth dialogue that goes on in these classes and it's a bit easier to socialize, especially since it can seem to others like honors kids get too caught up in academics and don’t get out there!”

Lucas also lives in the Stopher-Johnson Honors Living-Learning Community and appreciates the benefits of living on campus.  “Everything is kind of at your fingertips and it is easy to get around,” he says. It is clear that he has come a long way from the border of Canton and Massillon where he grew up. As Lucas ponders his future path, he will continue to contribute to ������’s vibrant community of movers and shakers as he makes the most of his undergraduate experience, all in the memory of Allison Krause. “With the direction our country is heading,” he says, “it is more important than ever to keep the legacy and activism of the Kent Four alive.”

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HERO HEADER PHOTO CAPTION:  Honors College student Lucas Hlavacek in his residence hall.

Media Contact: Stephanie Moskal, smoskal@kent.edu, 330-672-2312