First McGranaghan scholarship awarded to honors student Kathleen Capozello

The recently established Michael and Mary Lee McGranaghan Academic Excellence Scholarship designated for a student in both the College of Business and the Honors College works to ensure that the next generation of business leaders receive an outstanding education at BGSU.

The McGranaghans are both 1980 graduates and Falcon Flames who met during their senior year. “Our giving is really geared toward the College of Business, from where we are both graduates,” Mike had shared. “We both grew up in Ohio and went to school for four years at Bowling Green, and we both have fond memories of the school and of the program. That’s kind of the groundwork for our giving.”

They continue to give back to BGSU as a way to provide a strong foundation for future industry leaders. The McGranaghans are determined to help students, especially those in need. They hope recipients will return the favor by giving back to BGSU, but more importantly make significant contributions to society.

Kathleen Capozello was the first recipient of the scholarship, established in 2015, and awarded this past fall.

As a student enrolled in both the College of Business and Honors College, Capozello first learned of the scholarship from Dr. Simon Morgan-Russell, dean of the Honors College. “Originally, I had been up for consideration for what is now known as the Presidential Scholars Scholarship from the Honors College and then I heard about the new McGranaghan scholarship,” Capozello said. “Dr. Simon Morgan-Russell explained that Mr. McGranaghan wanted the scholarship to be awarded to the top incoming honors business student.”

In order to qualify for the scholarship Capozello completed the application process and travelled to Bowling Green for the campus interview in January. After learning she received the scholarship she met with recipients of the Presidential Scholars Award which is grouped with the McGranaghan Scholarship to form a cohort.

“Meeting with my cohort and last year’s cohort allowed me to make more friends on campus and we learned teamwork skills right off the bat with an activity,” she said. “I wouldn’t have met all of these people without the scholarship and I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

Capozello’s future plans see her at BGSU through her postgraduate studies. “I plan on getting my Bachelor of Science in Business with a specialization in Analytics and Intelligence and completing my Masters of Science in Applied Statistics at BG,” she said. After completing her education she hopes to work in market research or data analytics for Airbnb or The Walt Disney Company. “I would like to have a positive impact on the industry and help show the company I work for the importance of data in all aspects of business,” she said.

She hopes to return the favor by giving back to future students. “I would love to give back to the Honors College and the College of Business Administration because I have received so much from both of them,” she said. “The faculty and staff are extremely helpful and the alumni have given so much to me. I want to be able to give back to the colleges to show my appreciation and to help students of the future.”

Capozello reflects on the importance of scholarships and encourages all students to apply. “Apply for scholarships. Apply early and apply often and apply for a lot because any bit of money can help and you don’t know what you will get. Many people don’t take the time to apply, so your odds are better than they might seem.”

The interview process for the fall 2017 recipient will take place in January. The next available scholarship to apply for will be awarded to an incoming freshman fall 2018.