2018 Class Success Stories

Class of 2018 Success Stories: BGSU networking event freshmen year leads to full-time job with Honda freshmen year leads to full-time job with Honda Dec 14, 2018 12:00 PM Bowling Green State University College of Business graduate Ameera Venkataraman credits a networking event during her freshman year with landing two internships and, ultimately, a full-time job with Honda after graduation. She will start as a buyer, negotiating contracts for future commodities, meeting with suppliers and mitigating crisis management.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Sky is the limit for BGSU aviation major Jessica Schieberl Dec 11, 2018 9:03 AM Jessica Schieberl, a 20-year-old aviation major, has always been an ambitious student. She arrived at Bowling Green State University as a sophomore with 42 credits from College Credit Plus, but her ambitions really took flight — literally — on her first day of classes.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Enrico Solito credits BGSU for his development as a musician Dec 10, 2018 1:15 PM Enrico Solito is leaving BGSU on a high note after accepting a position playing the trumpet in a U.S. Army band. Solito, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in music education, starts in June with the 1st Calvary Division Band at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Pathway program sets a new course for Rachel Coleman Dec 10, 2018 10:30 AM Rachel Coleman knew her life would change forever once she got accepted to Bowling Green State University, but she didn’t know how much the Pathway Program would impact her entire college career. Coleman is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in sociology.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Brandon Peebles plans to make an impact in criminal justice Dec 3, 2018 4:18 PM The criminal justice program at BGSU attracted graduate student Brandon Peebles because he wants to make a positive impact in the community. Peebles credits his experiences and opportunities at BGSU for landing a full-time youth adviser position with the Juvenile Residential Center of Northwest Ohio.

Nick Menster picks BGSU because of commitment to community service Oct 5, 2018 2:50 PM Make no mistake, Nick Menster is serious about serving the community. That’s why he chose to attend Bowling Green State University. He’s already been elected to the executive board of his hall council, joined a fraternity and completed several hours of community service. Plus, he’s a member of the PLA.

Love of voice lands Lauren Riggleman at BGSU Oct 1, 2018 12:00 AM Lauren Riggleman of Newark, Ohio, has always loved music and helping others. At BGSU, she will be able to pursue both passions by majoring in CDIS and minoring in voice. Riggleman is a member of BGSU’s Class of 2022, the most academically prepared class in the University’s history.

Veronica Menendez chooses BGSU for its undergraduate data science program Sep 7, 2018 12:00 AM Veronica Menendez was so sure she wanted to major in data science that she completed two internships at Fortune 500 companies before she arrived at BGSU. BGSU was on her short list because it was one of the few universities in Ohio that offered data science as an undergraduate option.

Co-ops enable student to not be ‘just a number’ Aug 13, 2018 8:00 AM Kristen Grom arrived at Bowling Green State University after a road trip she took with her family to check out prospective universities. Now that she’s graduating with a 3.98 GPA and three VCT co-ops under her belt, she couldn’t be happier with the decision.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Life journeys lead to new start Aug 10, 2018 11:00 AM Cordie Stone fell in love with Bowling Green State University when she was 6 years old. Stone, a determined post-traditional student, after a 20-year gap completed her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and added a master’s degree in special education at BGSU.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Perseverance pays off for nontraditional student Aug 10, 2018 11:00 AM BGSU faculty, staff and students helped Leon Grace fulfill a lifelong dream to earn a college degree and open opportunities for him in the field of helping students with special needs. After taking classes on and off for more than 30 years, he earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: College of Business graduate gets 'creative' to complete degree Aug 7, 2018 11:00 AM It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. That’s been Sana Sharper’s mantra as the BGSU College of Business major set her sights on completing her degree; a journey that took a few unexpected turns along the way. The first came just two weeks before Sharper even started college.

Ohio Sen. Randy Gardner advises graduates to live a ‘life of value’ Aug 6, 2018 4:45 PM Ohio Sen. Randy Gardner ’81, ’87, the Senate Majority Leader who has served northwest Ohio in the Ohio General Assembly for nearly 33 years, addressed the Bowling Green State University summer graduating Class of 2018 on August 4 on the University Hall lawn.

Multiplying math success at BGSU Jul 30, 2018 8:00 AM Davis Gerber has taught math students in Thailand, China and the United States. Now, he starts his career as a math educator in Cleveland.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Bridging academic and research success at BGSU Jul 30, 2018 7:00 AM Zoe Kriegel is closing one chapter of her BGSU education and opening another. Kriegel is in the Doctoral Bridge Program, which transitions Communication Sciences and Disorders master’s students into the doctoral program. The program is designed for undergraduate and new master’s students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. without delay.

Jauntez Bates is a Servant Leader Jul 13, 2018 2:00 PM Jauntez Bates came to Bowling Green State University determined not to be a drop-out statistic and thanks to hard work and BGSU alumni Bob and Ellen Thompson's support of the President's Leadership Academy he finished his degree in four years and will return to Detroit to serve his hometown.

John Gawaluck ’73 shares recipe for achieving dreams with Class of 2018 May 8, 2018 9:47 AM John Gawaluck earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration from BGSU in 1973. He recently retired from EY after 41 years. EY, formerly Ernst & Young, is a multinational professional services firm. He addressed graduates of Graduate College and the colleges of Business and Health and Human Services.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: BGSU studio film experience elicits emotions, accolades May 7, 2018 1:15 PM The screenplay for Bowling Green State University’s studio film experience is the loosely autobiographical story of senior film production student Brianna Smith. The overall process was unnerving, but eventually she realized being the first female student of color to have a screenplay selected was historic for the University and her.

James Bailey ’67 honored with a doctor of humane letters May 7, 2018 11:30 AM James Bailey ’67 was presented an honorary doctor of humane letters during commencement May 5 at the Stroh Center. Bailey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from BGSU and a master’s in mathematics from New York University. He had a distinguished career in the banking industry.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: BGSU Honors student to enter competitive sales arena May 7, 2018 12:00 AM Derwin Pritchett has a love for sports. He originally became aware of Bowling Green State University through its acclaimed sport management program. The Maryland native visited both BGSU and the University of Michigan before finally deciding to become a Falcon.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Double major is walking his own musical path May 7, 2018 12:00 AM Declan Wicks is graduating with degrees in world music and international studies. To many, the sounds of cars driving down a street or wind rustling through the trees may be background noise, but to Wicks these sounds can help define a city, but they also defined his time at BGSU.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Job with Fortune 500 company awaits College of Business graduate May 7, 2018 12:00 AM It’s a big deal to graduate from BGSU. It’s an even bigger deal when the graduate has a job waiting at a Fortune 500 company. Emily Hoersten is graduating with a degree in business - information systems and then she will start working for Marathon as a business analyst.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Teaching a love of learning at BGSU May 7, 2018 12:00 AM A two-year teaching commitment in Thailand is the final step in Kinsey Smith’s BGSU education, but it’s just the start of her work to inspire a love of lifelong learning in her students. Her decision to specialize in Adolescence to Young Adult Integrated Language Arts has paid unexpected dividends.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Associate degree at BGSU Firelands leads to internship in U.S. Senator’s office Apr 30, 2018 10:17 AM Brent Lander’s decision to stay close to has had a profound effect on his career aspirations, and even opened a door to politics in Washington, D.C. Lander decided to continue on at BGSU Firelands after accumulating 19 credit hours at the Huron campus during his senior year of high school.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: BGSU’s mechatronics program produces first graduate Apr 30, 2018 10:17 AM John Pankow is the first student to graduate from BGSU’s Mechatronics Engineering Technology program, which prepares graduates for successful careers and expertise in a broad spectrum of the field associated with the analysis, applied design, development, implementation, automation and management of advanced mechatronics and robotics system technologies.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: Nutrition sciences offers perfect route to medical school Apr 30, 2018 10:00 AM Alanna Meadows always knew she wanted to go to medical school, but she wasn’t necessarily interested in taking the traditional route by majoring in biology or chemistry. Bowling Green State University’s nutrition sciences program tipped the scales in its favor according to Meadows, along with its supportive faculty.

Class of 2018 Success Stories: BGSU Ph.D. student discovers love of teaching Apr 27, 2018 1:00 PM Ana Jurcak came to BGSU as a master’s student, discovered she enjoyed teaching and stayed on for a Ph.D. Her Cuban heritage made her eligible to participate in an NSF-funded grant that encourages underrepresented minorities to become STEM professors; this fall she will teach biology at a university in Kansas.