Star-spangled student

BGSU junior to sing national anthem at Republic convention

Bowling Green State University student Abby Paskvan will take the national stage next Wednesday evening (July 20) when she performs “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Republican National Convention. Paskvan, a junior majoring in marketing, was invited to perform the national anthem by convention officials. She will take time off from her summer internship with Thrivent Financial to head to Cleveland.

“It’s all kind of crazy,” she said. “Whatever your political views, it will be exciting and fun to be there and experience all this. I’m super excited.”

To many, the anthem is a daunting piece of music to sing, but Paskvan has been performing it regularly since she was 8 and sang at a BGSU basketball game.

“A person on the convention planning committee heard her sing the anthem for the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians and recommended her,” said her mother, Rebecca Paskvan of Bowling Green, retired from the BGSU Department of Political Science.

Abby Paskvan’s Bowling Green connections go deep. “Yeah, I’m a townie,” she said humorously. “I sang in all the choirs in (Bowling Green) high school under Adam Landry, and I’ve been singing gospel music forever. I just sing the national anthem for fun.” She already has five albums of gospel out that are played on Christian radio, and a sixth is in the planning stage. 

Paskvan studies voice with BGSU retiree Tina Bunce, formerly of the College of Musical Arts. “Tina’s been a huge part of my training,” Paskvan said.

“I’m beyond excited for her,” Bunce said. 

Originally a BGSU music major, Paskvan said she decided to switch to marketing because of the job security it offers, in contrast to the uncertainties of a performing career.

“I can always sing,” she said, “but having a marketing degree will serve me well my entire life, even with my singing. The possibilities are endless. I plan to go straight through to my MBA, so for five years.”