KENT, Ohio — A recent college graduate is thankful for the hands-on real-world experience she gained while preparing for graduation.

What You Need To Know

  • A recent Kent State University graduate’s body care business is blossoming

  • Grace Irvin-Dillard credits the school's Entrepreneurship Program for setting her up for post-graduation success

  • Entrepreneurship majors at the university have to start and run a business in order to graduate

Grace Irvin-Dillard has always had the mindset of an entrepreneur. 

“I’ve always known that I didn't want to work for anybody else,” said Irvin-Dillard.

Her dream became a reality just more than a year ago when she launched her own business, Touched By Grace Body Care, which provides all-natural, hand-made body care products.

Not only did she want to start Touched By Grace, she had to do as a student in Kent State University’s entrepreneurship program. Entrepreneurship majors at the university have to start and run a business in order to graduate. 

“I had a class where we wrote our business plan, where we are figuring out what we wanted to do with our businesses. I had entrepreneurial accounting, entrepreneurial finance the last two semesters, the entrepreneurial experience class," Irvin-Dillard said. "We're literally running our businesses."

All her classes taught by professors, who are entrepreneurs and business owners themselves, were the springboard to Irvin-Dillard's success. She graduated this May with more than a year of owning Touched By Grace under her belt and more than $100,000 earned in revenue. 

“I have sold 4,000 orders to like 2,000 different people, and at least, like, 40 states I think at this point is probably most of all of them," she said. "But I have out-of-state customers, out-of-country customers."

On top of her degree from Kent State University, Irvin-Dillard also has a diploma in natural skincare formulation. At her business headquarters, which is not far from Kent's campus, she and her employees work to make, package and ship products.

Now that she’s a graduate, Irvin-Dillard said she no longer has to stress over balancing school work and running Touched By Grace Body, but she said she and Touched By Grace body care will always be connected to Kent. 

“Being a part of Kent’s Entrepreneurship Program and utilizing all of Kent's resources, has been so instrumental in my success," she said. "I honestly don't think I wouldn't be where I’m at today without any of that."