Grosse Pointe Woods resident Kristy Schena M.A., CCC-SLP, is among a distinguished group of fellow Spartans to receive a 2018 Outstanding Alumni Award from Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences. Schena was honored Saturday, April 14, at an alumni awards ceremony and dinner.
Schena is the founder and CEO of Kids on the Go, which offers summer programs for children with special needs at no cost to families. Nearly 2,000 children ages 3 to 17 have received physical, occupational and speech therapy the past two decades through Kids on the Go. Services soon will expand to provide teens with special needs classes introducing them to skills to join the workforce and gain independence.
MSU Associate Professor Peter LaPine Ph.D., CCC, nominated Schena, his former student and longtime colleague, for the award. LaPine previously collaborated with Kids on the Go.
“Kristy is a terrific listener,” LaPine said. “She hears not just the words that people say, she focuses on what they are trying to say to her. She has created a summer program out of nothing and turned it into a raging success story.”
Fox 2 News investigative reporter and MSU Alumni Board member M.L. Elrick presented Schena the Outstanding Alumni Award.
Schena said she was honored and humbled to accept the award with other recipients at the ceremony. She credits her education and mentors at MSU for opening doors that allowed her to carry out her vision for the pediatric nonprofit.
Schena founded KOTG when she was working as a speech pathologist.
“I wanted children to have a chance to experience camp like their typical peers, but keep up their skills during the summer months,” Schena said.
Each year, the college’s Alumni Board recognizes fellow Spartans for their outstanding achievements and service to the community. Only 209 of 55,000 ComArtSci alumni have received this honor since its inception decades ago.
Article from The Grosse Pointe News
