After getting a bachelor's in psychology, Tiara Clark, 24, took a detour to become president of a corporation - Tiara's LLC, which owns Tiara's Cafe, 724 Madison Ave., Covington.

She is co-owner of the cafe with Ralph Shepard, who is vice president of the company.

"My plans are to get back in school next spring and finish,'' she said.

She graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2002.

She said working in the restaurant-nightclub business has provided her with valuable face-to-face contact she could not get in a classroom.

POSITIVELY KIDS

Centre College forum Sixteen Northern Kentucky students participated in a discussion on the two-party political system in Kentucky this summer at Centre College in Danville, Ky. They were Stephen Bartlett, Mark Lueke, Riya Paranthan and Christina Kaaz, all of Erlanger; Michael Stevens, Samuel Nicaise and Austin Maddox, all of Covington; Candra Thackston and Martha Grothaus, both of Taylor Mill; Matthew Liechty, Emily Bowers and Emily Csinsi, all of Edgewood; Charlotte Webb, Crestview Hills; Benjamin Vogelpohl, Fort Wright; Whitney Berberich, Ryland Heights, and Laura Zerhusen, Villa Hills. Study abroad Rachel Nell Petit of Fort Mitchell was among a group from Transylvania University in Lexington who studied women in Italian society during a visit to Italy. Petit, a junior at Transylvania, traveled to Florence, Italy, in May as part of a course called "Italian Women: Representative and Realities.'' Petit, a sociology/anthropology major, is the daughter of James Michael and Sharon Ann Petit of Fort Mitchell. Heading to Germany Alicia Marie Miller of Erlanger will study in Regensburg, Germany, from Sept. 11 to Dec. 10. She was one of the winners of the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Support Grant for 2004. Miller is a junior at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. She is majoring in political science and German. "Study Abroad support grants are designed to recognize and assist undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad,'' said Theresa Bard, program coordinator for the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. "Thirty-eight grants, valued at $1,000 each, are awarded annually.''

"Interacting with customers on a daily basis will help me in my psychology courses,'' she said. "Each day and each customer presents something different. Each day, you have to get used to what customers like and you get a little peek into their personalities.''

She is also gaining experience in food preparation from her business partner and fiance, Shepard, who has 25 years' experience as a chef, restaurant manager and owner.

"She is doing a great job in learning how to prepare food,'' Shepard said. "I don't think anybody can beat her making an amaretto strawberry shortcake.''

Shepard and Clark live in Covington. While they agree on such dishes as lobster macaroni casserole, turkey chili and jerk pork chops, , they differ on their wedding date.

He says next spring, maybe. She says before January, definitely.

Award renamed

The State Star award has been renamed after the late Sutton Landry, former director of Northern Kentucky University's Small Business Development Center. Landry died last month. He was 55.

"For 17 years, Sutton Landry worked passionately to develop small businesses in Northern Kentucky,'' said Becky Naugle, state director of the Kentucky Small Business Development Center, who announced the name change last week. "He was innovative, dedicated and enthusiastic. He exemplified the qualifications for this award. It is only appropriate for this prestigious award to be given in his honor.''

Landry was last year's winner of the award. The award is given by the American Small Business Development Center Network.

This year's ceremony will be held in New Orleans later this month.

College gets grant

Gateway Community and Technical College, with campuses in Covington, Edgewood and Highland Heights, has received a $1,686,522 grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The money will be used to bolster instructional programs, to strengthen student support services and to provide for faculty and staff professional development, said Jack Lundy, Gateway's campus director.