Patrick Caniglia Discovers his Passion

Welcome, Future Honors Students!

First of all, congratulations on choosing to attend Bowling Green State University! It will prove to be one of the best decisions of your life. Trust me.

My name is Patrick Caniglia, and I am a rising second-year Falcon from Valley City, Ohio. I am currently majoring in Human Development and Family Studies and minoring in Psychology, with hopes of pursuing a career in mental health or school counseling. I have a passion for people and service. In a little over a year, BGSU has provided me with more opportunities to further develop my enthusiasm than I ever could have anticipated. The relationships and connections I have made so far through BGSU have formed a platform from which I will continue to build upon my aforementioned passions.

The Honors College and the Honors Learning Community have helped make one of the greatest individual service opportunities of my life become a possibility. In the last week of the 2019 J-Term, I participated in a Bowling Green Alternative Break (bGAB) trip to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Richmond, Virginia, to work with its resettling refugee and immigrant clientele. During the week, groups of BGSU students taught English during home visits with IRC clients, helped set up IRC events, and shadowed IRC staff members. The work illustrated the importance of empathy, reflection, and education in service. It also reminded me that the relationships formed through service are second to none. I will never forget the smile of a child who, after hours of frustrating work, finally understands what you’re saying (or vice versa). I will never forget the people who filled the rooms at IRC events; because although they may not be among the most powerful, they certainly must be among the most compassionate. I will never forget the courage and genuine caring displayed by the IRC staff members, whether it be through working with a client or answering a bGAB member’s question. The Honors College and the Honors Learning Community made this experience possible. I was able to use the yearly $200 travel allowance granted to me through the HLC to pay for my trip to Richmond. Fortunately, I am happy to say that this past winter’s trip will not be my last. I will be returning to bGAB this coming J-Term as a site leader. I was inspired to do so based upon the incredible peers, community partners, and clientele that we worked with in Richmond. With the support of the Honors College and the HLC, hopefully even more students will get to receive the same great experience that I had through this special service opportunity.

To be honest, I stumbled upon bGAB and the chance to travel to the Richmond IRC. However, one should not confuse stumbling with luck. Bowling Green is undoubtedly an incredible place to be. Opportunities are everywhere. You just have to put forth the effort to throw yourself out there and try new things in order to put said opportunities into fruition. I discovered bGAB just prior to opening weekend and sought its members out at Campus Fest. During the same event, I again “stumbled” upon RallyCap Sports, an organization that promotes play and athletics among youth with physical and developmental disabilities. I am now a part of its executive board as a member of the family relations team.

As an Honors student, you may also be a part of a particular scholarship cohort, such as ALS or PSA. When your respective group meets, you will find yourself amazed (or overwhelmed) at the gifted, hardworking minds that surround you. However, remember that you are also a part of that group for a reason. Those groups include some of the most dedicated, albeit busiest, students on campus. In terms of service, one can use these mindsets to his or her advantage. As a part of the service committee of ALS, the Honors College donated hundreds of nonperishable food items to the Wood County CASA, a local nonprofit that supports child victims in the court of law. This act of service was part of a food drive that followed a conversation with Dr. Jodi Devine, an Honors faculty member with a deep history with the organization. This example shows that if Honors students make the effort to serve their Bowling Green community, BGSU will have the tools and the opportunities available in order to make that service project proposal a reality.

In short, be confident in your ability to throw yourself out there. It has allowed me to hit the ground running as I enter the second year of my BGSU experience. If you do the same, there is no doubt in my mind that you will go even further.

Ay Ziggy!
Patrick Caniglia