BGSU celebrates 10 under 10 alumni
From teachers and thinkers, to entrepreneurs and creators, leaders and visionaries, risk takers and dreamers, recent Falcon alumni are changing lives. To honor the accomplishments of our recent alumni, the BGSU 10 Under 10 award was created.
2019 honorees
Matthew Frakes ’11, ’14
Matthew Frakes is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and certified strength and conditioning specialist at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. After becoming a registered dietitian, he opened a Columbus-based private practice, Superior Nutrition and Performance, where he counseled professional and collegiate athletes. He also developed the Vital Education Through Eating curriculum for at-risk youths in Columbus. Calling on his own experience as a student-athlete, he developed a passion for enhancing athletic performance through both evidence-based research and practice-based research. As a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Mississippi, his research interest focuses on dietary intake and recovery rate from sports-related concussions of collegiate athletes. He earned a bachelor’s degree in dietetics in 2011 and a master’s degree in food and nutrition in 2014.
Alicia Gilbert ‘09
Alicia Gilbert earned her bachelor’s degree in sport marketing from BGSU, then went on to receive her master’s degree in student affairs administration in higher education from Ball State University in 2012. As a student, she served as an ex-officio to the vice president of student affairs and was involved in the American Red Cross Club, Black Student Union and the Epsilon Omicron Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Since graduation, Alicia has focused her work on building safe fraternal communities at Millikin University as the associate director of Inclusion & Student Engagement, as well as the assistant director of Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Life for Risk Management at Purdue University. In her tenure, Alicia received recognition for her contributions and support of students. This past academic year, she received the award for Outstanding Council Advisor and Outstanding Faculty Award. Alicia now serves as a senior academic advisor and student program coordinator for the College of Health and Human Science at Purdue University. In her spare time, Alicia serves the community volunteering with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, United Way and her beloved sorority.
Steven Johnson ‘09
Steven Johnson is a senior manager for inclusion and diversity at American Airlines in Dallas, leading the team to create a more inclusive customer experience and work environment for all 130,000 American team members. He has served as an adviser within fraternity and sorority life, as coordinator for multicultural affairs, and as the dean of diversity and inclusion at The Episcopal School of Dallas. His community service includes multiple boards within higher education, professional organizations, nonprofits and community-appointed boards. He also mentors the members of Epsilon Phi chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity at BGSU. A first-generation college student, he received his Bachelor of Arts in communication with a minor in ethnic studies from BGSU in 2009. Johnson earned his first master’s degree, in student affairs administration, from Ball State University and a second in organizational dynamics from Southern Methodist University, where he served as a member of the Black Alumni Board from 2017-19.
Alison Kemp ’09
Alison Kemp is a Peace Corps volunteer in Eswatini in southern Africa and recently completed an extension year at Public Services International (PSI), a non-governmental organization working to reduce the spread of HIV in the country. Kemp worked in a rural community before joining the marketing team at PSI, where she worked to improve social media practices, establish written procedures and strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems. She extended her service for a fourth year to work as a Peace Corps volunteer leader, specializing in communications and monitoring and evaluation at the Peace Corps office. Kemp has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from BGSU. She also has a master’s degree in public health from the University of Utah.
Andrea Krieg ’12, ’15
After completing her master's and doctoral degrees in the Sociology Department, Andrea Krieg entered academia, and is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Elmhurst College in Illinois. She teaches a variety of courses, has an active research agenda and serves as the faculty adviser for the local chapter of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society. Krieg is passionate about working with her students and engaging with the local community. In addition to taking advantage of local resources and history to teach her students, she spends time volunteering with Beds Plus Homeless Shelter and registering voters. When Krieg isn’t volunteering or taking her students to the Old Joliet Prison, she enjoys going to Montrose Dog Beach, spending time with family and reading the latest book about the history of public housing. Additionally, Krieg is a member of the BGSU Recent Alumni Council, active in the Chicago regional network and has served as a BGSU One Day ambassador.
Tim Love ‘14
Tim Love has parlayed his love of sport and his 2014 BGSU undergraduate degree in sport management into a promising career with one of the most prominent talent agencies in the business. As an assistant in the TV Business Affairs division of Creative Artist Agency (CAA) in Los Angeles, he assists in the negotiation of television deals for some of the biggest stars in sports and entertainment. A former Falcons linebacker, Love was a member of the 2013 team that won the Falcons’ first MAC Championship in 21 years. Love went on to earn a law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he was the president of the school’s Sports and Entertainment Law Association. While attending law school, he served as a legal extern for several sports and entertainment agencies, including Nest Seekers International real estate brokerage firm; Athletes First sports agency, representing NFL players and coaches; and BBC Studios, working with TV shows such as “Dancing with the Stars.” In 2016 he received an Honorable Mention Best Oral Advocate for his litigation performance through his Intensive Advocacy Program at USF. Before joining CAA, Love served as a legal assistant for Mariotto Resolutions handling worker compensation claims for clients such as the Los Angeles Police Department. He regularly gives back to student-athletes and law students at various universities by speaking and offering guidance and mentorship.
Jacob Nix ’12, ’13
Jacob Nix graduated summa cum laude from the College of Business and went on to receive a Master of Accountancy with honors. He has worked at several global accounting and consulting firms, servicing high-profile clients and creating bleeding-edge techniques that were adopted globally as best practices before starting his own consulting firm, RISC Point Advisory Group, in 2018. Nix is an avid supporter of the accounting profession and BGSU, remaining active on campus through guest lectures, serving on the Accounting Advisory Board, including leading the IT Curriculum Sub-Committee as chair. Being a first-generation college student, Nix has shown commitment to helping students achieve their goals by endowing a scholarship in 2014, making him one of the youngest members of BGSU's Presidents Club. Jacob was recently appointed to the Ohio Society of CPAs’ Political Action Committee Board of Directors and has served as the youngest board member of the Ohio CPA Foundation, which helps underrepresented students gain access to the profession.
Stephanie Rahe ’11, ’13, ’18
A three-time BGSU graduate, Stephanie Rahe earned her bachelor’s degree in 2011 and master’s degree in 2013 at Bowling Green State University in communication sciences and disorders and went on to obtain a Professional Master of Business Administration in 2018. Today she is a speech-language pathologist with Premier Health Miami Valley Hospital. Before moving back to her home town, she worked at ProMedica Toledo Hospital, where she was a member of the stroke evidence-based practice committee and presented at multiple stroke conferences and stroke support groups. She has served her profession through educational outreach and participation in professional organizations. Rahe led the Northwest Ohio Speech-Language Hearing Association as vice president, president and past president and now serves at the state level on the Ohio Speech-Language and Hearing Association legislative council as the healthcare practice representative. The 2013 Ohio Speech Language Hearing Association Outstanding Graduate Student, Rahe has been a clinical supervisor for many BGSU graduate students and served as a mentor for newly graduated therapists during their clinical fellowship year.
Shayna Smith ’13, ’16
Shayna Smith is the assistant director for diversity initiatives at Miami University, providing programming and resources and conducting outreach for diverse student populations through the lens of career development. She serves as the assistant dance coach for The Highsteppers Dance/Drill Team, a nonprofit positive-youth dance organization based in Cincinnati that uses the art of dance and drill as unique tools to instill necessary life skills in young ladies as they mature into young women. She is also on the Women of Color in Career Services Initiative Leadership Team, a group for women to share ideas, insight and support and to show the world women of color exist in career services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mild/moderate intervention services in 2013 and a master’s degree in college student personnel in 2016. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Jessica Williams ’14
Jessica Williams is a registered nurse at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center in cardiac care and a volunteer instructor at Center 4 Brain Health at Menorah Park Center for Senior Living. She first joined Center 4 Brain Health in 2015 and helped foster a program that received the ICAA 2016 Innovate Award in the field of gerontology. A lifelong learner, she plans to continue her education and become a nurse practitioner, with goals of improving patient education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in 2014 from BGSU and recently completed a rigorous 15-month Bachelor of Science in nursing program at Ursuline College. As a BGSU student, she helped start the Student Neuroscience Association and served as its president.
This year's honorees will also present at a career panel open to all students.
Friday, Sept. 13 | 3-4 p.m.
Bowen-Thompson Student Union | Room 314
Updated: 11/06/2019 11:04AM