BGSU to hold commencement Aug. 5

A diverse group of 958 people shared a common experience Aug. 5. They received diplomas from Bowling Green State University. The morning ceremony in the Stroh Center featured 114 graduates who came from the United States as well as 29 other countries. More than half of the total were women. 

President Mary Ellen Mazey presided over the ceremony, the 289th in University history. Megan Newlove, chair of the BGSU Board of Trustees, presented diplomas to the degree candidates, of whom 47 have earned associate degrees, including an 18-year-old, 476 bachelor’s degrees, 360 master’s degrees and another 36 doctoral degrees. Eighty wore the gold cord signifying they graduated with academic honors based on their high grade-point averages.

Students graduated from all of the BGSU colleges : Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Development, Firelands, Health and Human Services, Musical Arts and Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering. 

Addressing the graduates was Brady Young of Roswell, Georgia, who graduated from BGSU with a degree in business in 1982. Young is principal owner of Strategic Risk Solutions (SRS) and serves as the firm’s president and CEO. SRS sets up and manages insurance companies for various business and institutions. It is the largest independent captive management firm in the world. Young has been with SRS since its inception in 1993 and led the management buyout of the company to establish it as an independent entity in 2002. He has more than 30 years of experience working with major public, nonprofit and privately held organizations to help them manage risk, develop risk financing strategies and optimize the role of their captive insurers.