Franklin University Celebrated its Third Annual Alumnus of the Year Award

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

Franklin University, one of the leading educators of working adults in central Ohio, celebrated its 175th Commencement on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Along with honoring the graduates, the University recognized Misti Norman, dual B.A. in Business Management and Marketing (’89), with the Alumnus of the Year Award.

Misti Norman’s mission to “nurture, teach, and grow children to reach their highest potential” begins with children but extends to their families and her staff. Misti is the owner and operator of Heavenly Kids Center for Learning, an early learning center located in Columbus’ downtown Discovery District for children ages six weeks to 5 years old. Her goal is to educate and support families so that they can build legacies for themselves and pass on strong principles of success to future generations. Over the past 16 years, Heavenly Kids also has expanded its services to provide workforce and professional development programs for parents and teachers.   
 
Misti’s passion to develop programs to support children and families led her to start Morning Enterprise, a community development company that focuses on building and restoring commercial and residential properties in lower income neighborhoods. She and her son have partnered with Columbus Landmarks to establish the King-Lincoln Bronzeville commercial corridor as a nationally registered historic district.

A Columbus native, Misti is a proud mother of four adult children who work alongside her within the companies. She is a strong advocate for early education in the community and serves on the advisory committees for two premiere voices in Ohio for early education: Groundwork Ohio and Action for Children. Misti has experience at the state and federal levels as an advocate for young learners. She also has been featured in many local publications, including The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus Parent, Columbus CEO, and Business Link, lending her expertise to various topics in the field of early education. Misti attributes her success to the strong academic foundation she received at Franklin University as part of her bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing. 

Congratulations, Misti!

About the Franklin University Alumni Awards
The Franklin University Alumni Awards were created to recognize the many achievements of Franklin University alumni, both professionally and personally. The awards, open to all alumni, distinguish accomplishments in three categories: professional excellence, social impact, and alumnus of the year. 
One of the three awards is announced at each of the University's Commencement ceremonies on a rotating basis. The Franklin University Alumni Advisory Council considers nominations and makes its recommendations to the University’s president for approval.

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).