Class of 2023: Schmidthorst College of Business graduate explores all BGSU has to offer

Karl E. Vogt Outstanding Senior Award winner Matt DeAmon learns outside of classroom during college journey

By any measure, Bowling Green State University senior Matt DeAmon’s college career has been highly decorated. 

DeAmon, an Honors College student, was a recipient of the Michael and Mary Lee McGranaghan Academic Excellence Scholarship, earned the Karl E. Vogt Outstanding Senior Award as the top senior in the Schmidthorst College of Business and now is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with three specializations and University honors.

But it was the time spent outside of the classroom that shaped DeAmon’s BGSU experience – a blend of academic, organizational, professional and interpersonal connections that made the journey special, he said.

Once DeAmon was selected for the McGranaghan scholarship, he knew two things: He was going to BGSU, and he wanted to make the most of his time on campus. 

“It was a no-brainer to pick BGSU,” DeAmon said. “Ever since coming here, the McGranaghan family has been kind and gracious, the faculty has been very supportive, and the Student Ambassador program has given me lifelong friends while improving my leadership skills.

“BGSU was a great place to start out. It’s been everything and more.”

While DeAmon continued his success in the classroom, he also used college to explore professional interests through jobs, holding three different on-campus positions and completing internships at the Eaton Corporation and Amazon.

With the help of faculty, DeAmon also had a chance to study abroad in Strasbourg, France, affording a new perspective outside of campus life. 

“College was really an opportunity for me to see the world outside of a purely educational context,” DeAmon said. “From there, it’s been about what I could apply to real-life situations, or teach someone else, or contribute to a group. Learning went one step further into sharing ideas with others.”

DeAmon’s natural curiosity is an asset that drew the attention of faculty and staff with whom he worked during his time at BGSU.

“He epitomizes the values of being self-taught and self-motivated,” said Dr. Earl McKinney, a BGSU professor in accounting and information systems. “He is very aware of his surroundings and the people that he interacts with. He’s always looking out for the needs of other people and he has a very positive impact on his teammates.”

A lifelong lover of music who plays the drums, DeAmon used his honors project to combine a passion with his data expertise by doing an analysis of the top 25 pop songs in every year from 1971-2021, looking for correlations while evaluating each song on 32 criteria.

The research, which DeAmon presented at TEDxBGSU in 2022, was one of the many ways he explored an interest during his time at BGSU. Through the College Credit Plus program, DeAmon was able to jump-start the process of earning credits, affording him time to dedicate to interests outside of his major.

“Another great thing about BGSU was the flexibility after taking College Credit Plus courses in high school,” he said. “I came here to get my degree, but I also had the time to take a radio class – I was a DJ for a year on WBGU – play drums here and there, take a philosophy class and dive deep into my student organizations.”

Though DeAmon will leave having accomplished his academic milestones, the people he met at BGSU are what impacted him the most, he said. 

“It comes down to relationships, and I think BGSU is unique in that sense because it’s the perfect size,” DeAmon said. “I can be my own person and still meet new people, but whenever I walk around, there’s always a familiar face."