2017 Class Success Stories

Class of 2017 Success Stories: BGSU offered Gabrielle Yarbrough opportunities to excel and help Dec 18, 2017 8:47 AM Gabrielle Yarbrough’s business degree specialization - finance and insurance with a minor in business pre-law - is often associated more with analytics than with soft skills. But the Akron, Ohio, native said a focal point of her BGSU experience has been her interactions with other people, especially helping other students.

Doug Good ’90: Leadership skills can never be undervalued Dec 15, 2017 1:17 PM Doug Good graduated from BGSU in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in computer science. Good is passionate about BGSU and is Cisco’s Executive Sponsor for the University. He addressed the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education and Human Development during the December 16 commencement ceremony at the Stroh Center.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Hands-on experience serves BGSU architecture major well Dec 15, 2017 9:59 AM Khoa Truong’s father and grandfather were both carpenters in Vietnam and he grew up taking art classes through grade school and high school. When deciding on what to study at BGSU, he figured architecture was the perfect blend of his family’s background and his talents.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Looking at life through a language lens benefits Clune Dec 15, 2017 9:59 AM Tarynn Clune knew early in high school she wanted to study speech language pathology in college. By the time she was ready to look at colleges, Bowling Green State University quickly jumped to the top of her list of Ohio state schools.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: BGSU contemporary music program sets the stage for Hong-Da Chin Dec 11, 2017 9:59 AM Hong-Da Chin started playing the Chinese flute when he was a 10-year-old boy living in Kajang, Malaysia. Now, as he is set to graduate with a Doctor of Musical Arts in contemporary music from BGSU, he has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the United States.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: BGSU’s HIED program allows Ardy Gonyer to ‘evolve as a professional’ Dec 11, 2017 9:59 AM The evolution of beauty pageant contestant to a world-champion karate kid to a doctoral candidate, might sound like sound like a stretch for some, but not for Howard “Ardy” Gonyer, who is graduating from Bowling Green State University with a Ph.D. from the Higher Education Administration (HIED) program.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Research experience forges path toward career goals Dec 11, 2017 9:59 AM Erica Eskins from Bellevue, Ohio, started working in labs starting in her freshman year to gain the experiences that helped determine the best-suited career for her, combining microbiology and public health as a way to help populations.

BGSU, inclusive early childhood education felt like ‘the best fit’ Sep 11, 2017 12:15 AM Christina Furia was homeschooled from the day she started until the day she graduated. Attending BGSU is the first chance she gets to spread her wings. And what does she want to be? A teacher. Furia, who grew up near Cincinnati, is majoring in early childhood education.

Film production major, acceptance big draws for BGSU Sep 1, 2017 9:00 AM Lex Harvey dreams of becoming a director one day. Harvey is a freshman at Bowling Green State University from Falls Church, Virginia, majoring in film with a specialization in film production. At BGSU, film production majors are given a foundation in film history, aesthetics and production.

Designing her own dream at BGSU Aug 28, 2017 9:42 AM For a lot of students, going away to college is a big deal. Living away from home for the first time and leaving friends and family behind takes some courage. But for Kasandra Fager, she will be separating from her quadruplet sisters for the first time in 18 years.

PLA scholarship gives wings to incoming freshman’s dreams Aug 21, 2017 12:00 AM For Afi-Setut A-Alkebu-Lan, her love of flight all started with a trip to Japan. She plans to stand out at BGSU by majoring in aviation engineering technology and as a recipient of PLA scholarship.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: First cohort completes BGSU M.A. strategic communication specialization Aug 7, 2017 12:15 AM The Master of Arts in communication with a specialization in strategic communication was started in 2015 and was geared at professionals in the media and communication industry to help them navigate the changing industry. In August 2017, the first cohort of students is graduating with the degree.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Taking flight in BGSU’s aviation program Aug 7, 2017 12:15 AM Samantha Hannon just graduated from BGSU as an aviation management and operation major but has been working in her career field since December. She is a customer service representative at Million Air Orlando and is responsible for making sure the day-to-day operations of the airline’s fixed-base operator run smoothly.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Finding his calling Jul 31, 2017 3:47 PM Not every student knows exactly what they want to do before arriving at BGSU. Sometimes, it takes a while to find your true calling. Joshua Amaro started out as a music performance major. Now, Amaro is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: A future in international affairs Jul 31, 2017 7:00 AM As Andrea Danziger graduates as part of the Class of 2017 with a double major in German and political science and a PPEL minor, she is leaving Bowling Green State University with aspirations of working for the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Analytics of success at BGSU Jul 31, 2017 7:00 AM An 8,000-mile journey was only one of the challenges Amala Umakanth faced in earning her Master of Science in Analytics degree from Bowling Green State University. Umakanth left her family behind in India to obtain a Master of Science degree in Analytics.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Keeping music in the classroom Jul 31, 2017 7:00 AM Joel Hamilton is the choral director at Perrysburg Junior High School. He is graduating with a Master of Music with a Teaching Artistry Specialization from BGSU’s College of Musical Arts with the intention of taking what he has learned in the program and incorporating it into the classroom.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Following in his father’s footsteps Jun 12, 2017 7:00 AM Christopher Wagenheim asked permission from the president’s office to wear regalia that differed from the rest of Bowling Green State University’s Class of 2017. Not only were his robe and tam black instead of the traditional BGSU brown, they also are family heirlooms.

2017 Success Stories: Composing a bright future May 29, 2017 7:00 AM Daniel Bayot grew up in an abundantly musical family on the island of Oahu. Bayot’s father is a full-time professional musician and Bruno Mars is his cousin. Bayot took voice lessons throughout his four years at BGSU and graduated with a 3.713 GPA and a Bachelor of Arts in music composition.

Army veteran destined for leadership in fire service May 22, 2017 7:30 AM Charles Swank, a full-time firefighter near Dublin, Ohio, a devoted husband, and father of five enrolled in BGSU's Fire Administration program to put himself in the best position to be promoted in the career in which he is destined to succeed.

Globetrotting from Guam May 22, 2017 7:30 AM Gary Schoenhals, 36, a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Guam, had worked too hard for too long to let traveling halfway around the globe stop him from receiving his diploma in person from Bowling Green State University.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Business of the world May 12, 2017 10:17 AM When Rob Everard, who is graduating with a dual major, enrolled at Bowling Green State University, he already knew he wanted to study abroad. The wide scope of international opportunities, along with the strong business program, convinced him that BGSU was his first choice.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Mother and daughter graduate together May 12, 2017 10:17 AM Mother and daughter Diana and Olivia Paredes graduated from Bowling Green State University May 6 with bachelor’s degrees in communication. They chose their degrees for different reasons, but agree that graduate school might be the next step for each of them.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: President’s Award recipient prides herself on hard work May 12, 2017 10:17 AM Meghan Murray, a third-generation Falcon and a President’s Award recipient, is graduating from BGSU’s visual communication technology program with a 4.0 GPA. During her time at the University, Murray edited a national PBS show while at WBGU-TV and helped edit an Emmy Award-nominated documentary.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: BGSU graduate advocating for environmental education May 8, 2017 8:49 AM Detroit native Tyeisha Hodges came to BGSU thanks to a PLA Scholarship and a major that focused on her area of interest: the environment. Her BGSU experiences, which included two environmental issues-based internships, led to her having a job before she graduated.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Open to all of music’s possibilities May 1, 2017 7:00 AM As a double major in guitar performance with a jazz emphasis and jazz studies in alto sax, Erika Nalow is graduating from Bowling Green State University with a 3.98 GPA and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the College of Musical Arts and Honors College.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Passion for biology fuels graduate’s career path May 1, 2017 7:00 AM William Sberna's passion for biology and support from a faculty mentor encouraged him to follow his research interests. His research into naturally occurring substances which counter antibiotic-resistant superbugs has provided positive results.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Feeling at home in audiology at BGSU May 1, 2017 7:00 AM Sarah Pilkington grew up in Napoleon, Ohio, just 30 minutes outside of Bowling Green, so she wasn’t too sure if BGSU was the right choice for her. Pilkington, however, visited the University on a preview day and fell in love with the campus and her major, CDIS.

Class of 2017 Success Stories: Weaving a bright future May 1, 2017 7:00 AM Fatima Camara is wasting no time applying the skills she learned in Bowling Green State University's apparel merchandising and product development class as she prepares to launch her own fashion line that pays homage to her West African heritage.