Multiplicity

Kristina White, an elementary education major at Wright State, thrives as a leader for student organizations and in the College of Health, Education and Human Services.

How many versions of Kristina White are there at Wright State University?

There’s the junior elementary education major and dance minor.

There’s the vice president of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board for the College of Health, Education and Human Services and the student representative on the college’s strategic planning committee.

There’s the president of club sports.

And there’s the social media manager of The Wright State Guardian, the student-run digital newspaper.

Unlike the character played by Michael Keaton in the movie “Multiplicity,” in which he cloned himself several times, White fills those roles and more all by herself.

“I was super involved in high school,” she said. “It seemed normal to be busy. I have pretty decent time management. I’m able to give chunks of my day to organizations, with time to enjoy myself.”

Her current interests have roots in her early childhood.

“My mom was a high school English teacher,” said White, who is from Lima. “She was my biggest role model growing up. I always wanted to be a teacher. Also, I’ve been dancing my entire life, since I was 2. I have a huge passion for that.”

When it came time for post-high-school plans, she looked for schools far enough away to live independently yet close enough to return home easily. Wright State checked that box.

“Wright State has a good elementary education program and dance minor,” she said.

White had her eye on another school but when she visited Wright State’s campus, she loved the size of the university and made her choice.

She has built up her involvement at Wright State. She applied for a position on the Dean’s Student Advisory Board of the College of Health, Education and Human Services as a first-year student and was accepted as a sophomore and served as its secretary. This year, she is the vice president and will be the board’s president next academic year.

The board includes 13 student representatives from different years and majors.

“We plan events for the entirety of the college for students to meet the faculty and each other,” White said.

White has a more singular role on the college’s strategic planning committee, which has 10 members, including Dean Jim Denniston, Ph.D., the associate dean, department chairs and one student. White said the committee meets about every other week to develop mission and vision statements.

“When they talk about students, they look at me for an opinion. I’m the voice of the students,” she said.

“Kristina demonstrated a passion for learning, and her level of involvement in the institution that is rarely seen in second-year college students,” Denniston said. “Given her strong leadership skills and investment in the college, I invited Kristina to serve on the college’s strategic planning committee. Her input has been instrumental in developing the college’s first strategic plan and will help shape the future of the college for years to come.”

White is also the president of Wright State’s 17 club sports. She helps manage their budgets, hosts monthly meetings, enforces policies, helps recruit, and, as she said, brainstorms to make the teams as successful as possible.

One of those sports is the Wright State Dance Team, of which she was co-president. She left the Dance Team and joined the Competitive Cheer Team.

White also serves as a member of cohort leadership of the Elementary Education Cohort.

She helps get the word out about campus activities through her role as social media manager for The Guardian.

“I worked on my high school newspaper, and I was editor-in-chief as a senior,” she said. “I was offered a writing position with The Guardian, but social media stuck out. I’ve never done that before. I wanted to be part of the newsroom, so I took it.”

White is open and enthusiastic about why she is so involved at Wright State.

“I do this for personal development,” she said. “I just love to know as many people as possible, and when I get an opportunity to join, I like to do it.”

White says that students should make the best of their opportunities on campus.

“I talk to students about ways to get involved. I tell them to start with one organization to make friends. It makes the college experience better if you know at least one person,” she said.

White expects to graduate in the spring of 2025. She hopes to stay in the Dayton area to teach first or second grade during the day and teach at a dance studio in the evenings.

“After a couple of years, I’ll get a master’s with the hopes of being a school administrator, principal or superintendent,” she said.