Saying yes to growth

When Kennedy Burns first set foot on Central Michigan University’s campus, she already felt a spark of recognition. She’d grown up wearing CMU gear, cheering for a relative who once played football for the Chippewas, and imagining what it might feel like to call the university home.

“I just always thought it was the coolest school ever,” Burns said. “Neither of my parents went to a four-year university, so it was always kind of a dream of mine to get to come to Central.”

On her campus tour, the feeling clicked into place. The small class sizes, the close-knit community, and the freedom to have her car on campus made the transition feel manageable and welcoming. “Central kind of just stood out to me,” she said. “It made me feel a lot more comfortable coming to a new college.”

Now, graduating early with a degree in marketing, Burns can see how much that decision shaped everything that followed.

Finding the right path

Burns didn’t begin her CMU journey as a marketing major. In fact, she planned on something entirely different.

“When I toured CMU, I toured the business college because I was interested in studying human resource management, and I also toured the psychology department. I wanted to do psychology, and I really thought that’s what I was going to do,” she said.

But from the moment she walked into Grawn Hall, she knew the College of Business Administration held something she didn’t want to miss.

“The College of Business just stood out to me so much,” Burns said. “I knew that no matter what major I chose, I wanted to study in the College of Business.”

Her first semester helped her sort out what didn’t fit. A unit on human resources in BUS 100 made it clear she needed something more creative. “It wasn’t very fun,” she said. “I didn’t feel like it clicked with me.”

So she turned inward — thinking about where her creativity, curiosity, and love for visual storytelling might lead. Marketing was the answer.

“I’ve always been very creative,” she said. “I was trying to figure out how I could mix business with creativity, and that’s kind of how I chose marketing.”

Saying yes to new experiences

Burns’ willingness to try new things became the throughline of her college experience. She said yes to a job in the CBA her freshman year, even before she knew much about marketing.

“I didn’t know anything about marketing,” she said. “But that role has kind of evolved over the years. I get the chance to do so many cool things, and it’s opened so many different doors for me.”

She said yes to joining the Society of Women in Business — then later serving as its marketing and brand engagement coordinator. She said yes to a summer study-abroad program in England with 20 other business students.

“That really opened my eyes to a lot of different things,” she said. “It helped me finally step out of my comfort zone and step out of my shell.”

And she said yes to mentoring, eventually helping teach BUS 100 and BUS 102 and guiding first-year students as they navigated their own path.

“I get to network and meet a lot of freshmen,” Burns said. “I help them kind of see what the College of Business is all about, and even just help them with their homework.”

Her internships one with a small company in Grand Rapids and another with a public relations agency based in California, which she did virtually from Cincinnati during the summer, gave her a broader view of the business world and the many directions her degree could take her.

Building confidence through community

While many experiences shaped her journey, the strongest impact came from the people she met along the way.

“I had to come into the College of Business with a mindset to say yes to everything,” she said. “I’m definitely naturally a more quiet and reserved person but joining student organizations was the first step to finding my people.”

Study abroad deepened that. “A lot of them are still my best friends,” she said.

Working in the CBA connected her with faculty and staff who encouraged her growth and treated her like part of the community.

“Every event that I go to I take that as a chance to be open to anything. I get to hear their story, and share my story,” she said. “The CBA feels like its own family in a way. Sometimes I kind of forget that we’re at this huge university with how tight knit it feels.”

Looking ahead — with curiosity and clarity

Burns is excited for what comes next, even if she’s still exploring specific roles.

“I do not have a role lined up post-grad, but I’m exploring those after I graduate,” she said. She plans to move to Cincinnati, continue her job search, and stay open to different paths.

“I definitely am interested in continuing my education,” she said. “I also would love to explore the idea of being able to teach someday or continue working in academia.”

Her love for small businesses and startups could guide her as well. “That’s been really fun for me,” she said. “There’s so many different opportunities.”

No matter what’s next, she knows she’s prepared.

What she’ll carry with her

When Burns looks back, one experience stands above the rest — those three weeks in England.

“It kind of opened my eyes to a lot of different things,” she said. “It helped me finally step out of my comfort zone. Coming back my sophomore year, I just had this whole new group and network of people.”

Studying abroad wasn’t just a trip — it was a turning point. A reminder of what happens when you say yes.

And that’s the advice she hopes future students will remember too.

“Just soak in as much information as you can,” she said. “Understand yourself as a person and make sure you’re following your passions.”

Because when you do, she said, “nothing’s a race.”