A Full-Circle Moment in Mentorship

At North Central College’s 50th Annual Honors Convocation on April 16, Dr. Kristin Patel ’04, associate professor of health science and chair of the Department of Health Sciences, stood at the podium in Wentz Concert Hall to recognize Logan Selsky ’26, named the 2026 Outstanding Major in Health Science.

As she presented the award to Logan, Patel shared their unique connection.

“My first memory of you comes long before you were a student. You attended my graduation at North Central College — though you wouldn’t remember it,” Patel said. “You were just a baby in your mother’s arms, and your mom was my professor. Now, in a remarkable full-circle moment, I’ve had the privilege of being your professor as you approach your own graduation.”

Logan’s mother is Dr. Kendall Selsky ’93, associate professor of athletic training, athletic training program director and chair of the Department of Kinesiology. She was Patel’s professor and mentor more than two decades ago when Patel was a student in the College’s athletic training program.

That mentorship would go on to shape Patel’s own philosophy of teaching and mentoring students.

“Kendall was the kind of professor who went beyond delivering content; she was deeply invested in who we were becoming, both academically and professionally,” Patel said. “She challenged me to think critically, held me to a high standard, and at the same time created a space where I felt supported and capable of growing into those expectations.”

She added, “That perspective has made me more thoughtful in how I show up for my own students, knowing that the influence of a professor can extend far beyond the classroom and across years — even generations.”

None of them could have anticipated the full-circle moment years later, when Patel would mentor Logan using many of the same approaches and values she had learned from Logan’s mom, Kendall.

“Dr. Patel has been a mentor for me at North Central from when I first stepped on campus,” Logan said. “She has always reminded me that balance is more important than constantly striving for perfection and that I needed to give myself breaks, which has been really helpful for me throughout my undergraduate degree.”

Logan quickly made an impression as a college student. “She wasn’t simply completing assignments; she was already thinking several steps ahead about how each experience connected to her future in healthcare,” Patel said.

On Sunday, May 3, Logan crossed the Commencement stage as a member of the Class of 2026. Patel marked the occasion with a meaningful addition to her academic regalia: an extra tassel on her cap — the same one she wore at her own North Central graduation in 2004, the day she first met Logan.

Now a member of the North Central alumni family, Logan is going to graduate school. She will carry with her not only the education she received but also the community she had along the way.