Life Design at BGSU: High-achieving student appreciates University’s unique approach to teaching valuable life skills

Lukas Wise continues to rely on skills learned in Life Design in preparing for his future

By Laren Kowalczyk ‘07

This is an ongoing series on the impact Life Design has on students and how it is reshaping undergraduate education at BGSU.

Bowling Green State University junior Lukas Wise is ambitious, goal-driven and focused intently on preparing for a career in healthcare administration or epidemiology.

He’s taking full advantage of the many opportunities at the University to increase his experience and marketability to future employers ahead of graduation in 2024 — just three years after enrolling.

Wise, an applied health science major specializing in healthcare administration, was head learning assistant in a 2000-level biology course and a lead supplemental instructor for anatomy and physiology II in Spring 2023. He helped students understand complex course material and held review sessions before exams.

He is a student ambassador in the College of Health and Human Services and is establishing a student organization called the Integrated Health Research Association to bring like-minded students together to conduct and publish meaningful research.

Additionally, he’ll be an epidemiology intern this fall at the Henry County Health Department in nearby Napoleon, Ohio. He plans to use his biology, health science and information system skills to study patterns of diseases and health conditions.

Wise will also assist with the health department's community health improvement plan and community health assessment.

“BGSU provides a lot of opportunities,” Wise said. “There are endless numbers of programs, clubs, leadership and job opportunities that can provide valuable experience while also bolstering your resume. I think if you’re open-minded and willing to take advantage of what’s being offered, you can set yourself up nicely for the future.”

Unique opportunity

Wise includes in that sentiment the unique opportunity to learn design thinking principles through BGSU 1910: Life Design at BGSU, a first-year seminar that equips students with critical problem-solving skills they can use in college and life.

The one-hour weekly class is just one facet of the Life Design program, which launched in Fall 2020 to transform undergraduate education at BGSU by providing students with extra support in addition to traditional advising and academic resources.

Students are also paired with Life Design coaches, who connect them to helpful resources as they explore, prototype and plan their future.

BGSU is the first university in the country to build a Life Design program of this magnitude available to all undergraduate students.

The program expanded in Spring 2023 with the opening of the Geoffrey H. Radbill Center for College and Life Design and the Michael and Sara Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections. Although Life Design is one comprehensive program, these two centers represent its broad mission to respond to the evolving needs of students as they make their way through college.

Initially, Wise said he didn’t understand why someone like him, confident of his major and path forward, needed to take the Life Design course.

But as he got deeper into the class, the benefits became clearer. Wise said mapping out his future career goals and ways to achieve them was a beneficial exercise as a freshman. 

He’s following similar processes of exploration and prototyping — two integral facets of career design — as he plans for graduation.

“As I narrow my focus to determine the types of jobs I want to pursue after college, I’m once again leaning on the skills I learned in Life Design to evaluate my career goals and determine how I’m going to achieve them,” he said.