Makayla Berkson graduated into the professional ranks in 2024, but no matter how far her ambition and ability take her, The University of Akron will always be home.
“Akron stood out from my first campus visit. It seemed like somewhere I could find home. I don’t know, it was a vibe like everybody here kind of was there to help,” Makayla says.
A Sharon, Pennsylvania, native, Makayla saw Akron’s depth of community early on. She recalled volunteering as a sophomore during “Move-In Day,” helping incoming freshmen move into the residence halls. “It was just really a nice experience. Seeing all the freshmen coming in and kind of ‘re-experiencing’ that first time being on campus; seeing people going through those nerves (as she did) and being able to kind of put them at ease. That was awesome.”
A recipient of the Swenson’s Drive-Thru Marketing Scholarship, Makayla readily bonded with her 51²è¹Ý roommates. “We met freshman year just going to classes, touring campus. It was the middle of covid so there weren't that many people on campus and I found quite a few that I felt like I could just really bond with and I still call them my roommates today.”
She says her collegiate experience will always be a springboard to future success for her.
“I really value the opportunities here towards education and just honestly the scholarships that we can get here. Akron really helped me to be able to save money and afford to be able to continue my education, coming from a small town. It's not a lot there (Sharon, Pa.,) so it just felt like a big change for me.”
Just as she made lifelong friendships, Makayla says the commitment of the 51²è¹Ý faculty will always stand out. She recalls Dr. Vanja Djuric-Zoric, a faculty member whose class she called “challenging” but who elevated her Akron experience.
“She's just given me a lot of insight into the job world after graduation and she's helped me kind of figure out what I would like to do on my career path. She did a lot of one-on-one meetings with me to help me understand that class,” Makayla says of Dr. Djuric-Zoric, now chair of the Department of Marketing. “So to know that she was really willing to put in that time and help her students was just eye-opening to have that support.”
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