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Four years after almost leaving Kent, Merissa Barber-Smith prepares to graduate

Many didn’t think Merissa Barber-Smith would make it through her freshman year of college basketball.

Now, as a senior, Barber-Smith has had a busy few months.

At the end of March, she helped lead the women’s basketball team to their first postseason win since 1996 with a win over Green Bay in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

A few weeks ago, she celebrated her son's first birthday.

In two weeks she will graduate from college.

And after that, she gets to plan a wedding.

“To be honest, out of all the freshmen I came in with, I didn’t think Merissa was going to make it past the first summer,” senior guard Alexa Golden said.