National Veterans Leadership Foundation selects two BGSU students for distinguished fellowship

Active military servicemen Christopher Ogle and Grant Hayden were selected to improve support for military-connected students through the fellowship

By Branden Ferguson

Bowling Green State University students and active military servicemen Christopher Ogle and Grant Hayden are among a select group of students from more than 75 colleges and universities nationwide chosen to participate in the distinguished National Veterans Leadership Foundation (NVFL) program. As NVLF fellows, Ogle and Hayden, who work in the Office of Nontraditional and Military Student Services, will collaborate with BGSU on initiatives to improve support for military-connected students and join a national network of dedicated advocates.

Currently serving in the Ohio Army National Guard, Ogle and Hayden were recognized for their leadership and service-oriented support shown to fellow service members in their roles at the Office of Nontraditional and Military Student Services.

"As the Nontraditional and Military Student Services academic tutor, I have the pleasure of helping military students overcome many of the challenges associated with an untraditional academic journey," Hayden said.  

"As veterans, we have realized that our best support is each other," added Ogle. "Working at the Nontraditional and Military Student Services office allows me to share my knowledge and learn from other service members to provide the best service for our fellow veterans."

When military-connected students come to BGSU to further their education, they are immediately provided with academic advising, tutoring from a military tutor, and access to a network of support through the Office of Nontraditional and Military Student Services.

"Every single student who comes through our office, whether active duty, guard/reserves or dependent, gets the same level of care and attention," said Bryan Bills, Nontraditional and Military Student Services military program coordinator. "Every phone call, email or appointment — we do whatever it takes to ensure the success of our military students by eliminating challenges and barriers."

The individualized and holistic approach to supporting students resulted in BGSU being ranked as the No. 1 university in the Midwest for veterans and active military students for the fourth consecutive year in 2024.

As a staff sergeant and combat medic specialist/emergency care sergeant, Ogle has had his education interrupted by deployments. Despite the setbacks, he credits his success to the supportive staff in the NTMSS office.

"I keep coming back to finish my degree, and every time, BGSU and the NTMSS office were there with open arms," said Ogle. "I choose to work at the NTMSS office to return the favor and help make the transition to college easier for other veterans."

Ogle will graduate this spring with a bachelor's degree in biology with a specialization in forensic sciences. He plans to stay at BGSU to earn his MBA and hopes to continue making an impact in the Office of Nontraditional and Military Student Services.

After visiting BGSU in 2019 with his now-wife, a BGSU alumnus, Hayden fell in love with the campus and the tight-knit community of Bowling Green. As a combat medic in the Ohio Army National Guard, Hayden's college journey was anything but consistent, with breaks in 2020 and 2021.

"I planned to return to BGSU for the Spring 2022 semester following training, but sudden COVID activation left me 24 hours to drop out," recalls Hayden. "The NTMSS office was incredibly helpful during this stressful time and made my transition very smooth. They are one of the primary reasons I came back."

While pursuing a microbiology degree, Hayden made the most of his time at BGSU, becoming heavily involved in undergraduate research and helping others navigate the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship.

"With my experience with undergraduate research, my NVLF service project will be to advise BGSU military STEM students in getting the most out of their undergraduate programs by pursuing research and honors," Hayden said.

Hayden will graduate this spring and continue his education in the master's biology program at BGSU, where he will work as a teaching assistant and continue his undergraduate research in the environmental toxicology lab.

"I have been fortunate enough to work with Chris and Grant and watch them grow and develop as leaders," said Bills. They have tremendously impacted our military students and have become valuable assets to our team. I am excited to see them continue to make a difference as NVLF fellows."