In Focus host, Mike Kallmeyer, talked with a state lawmaker and a university about the impact Historically Black Colleges and Universities have on the state.

State Sen. Catherine Ingram, D-Cincinnati, discussed the value of higher education with Kallmeyer.

“Right here in Ohio, we have two of the oldest HBCUs in the country,” she said.

Ingram emphasized how important it is to allow young Ohioans the freedom to explore and discover what field they want to go into regardless of how in-demand that job currently is. Kallmeyer also talked with Tiffiney Gray, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Central State University.

She told him that one of the advantages of attending an HBCU is the sense of belonging and the family that students gain.

“One of the things we’re committed to is providing a family atmosphere coupled with academic excellence,” she said. Gray’s primary advice to young Ohioans looking to plan their future is, “don’t delay.”

She explained several of the programs that Central State University offers that some people may not know about.