BGSU freshman discovers unlikely coincidence after moving into her residence hall

Ash Drinkert randomly chose the same room her stepmother lived in nearly 40 years earlier

By Laren Kowalczyk ‘07

While Bowling Green State University freshman Ash Drinkert was busy setting up her room during move-in weekend in mid-August, her stepmother was walking through the halls of Kreisher Batchelder reminiscing about her freshman year at BGSU in the ‘80s.

As Kim Sergent ‘89 made her way toward Drinkert’s room, her walk down memory lane turned to disbelief after discovering she was helping move her stepdaughter into the same room she lived in nearly 40 years earlier.

“I was absolutely blown away,” Sergent said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had the best years of my life at BGSU, and I think it’s so wonderful that Ash’s journey is beginning the same way mine did.”

Drinkert is even on the same side of the room as Sergent, a coincidence that her roommate chose the other side when moving in a day earlier.

Both Drinkert and Sergent view the unlikely happenstance as a good sign of what’s to come.

“It feels important to me,” Drinkert said. “I’m exactly where Kim was when she began her college career, and everything went really well for her. I don’t know why, but being in the same dorm room makes me feel like everything will work out for me, too.”

Sergent added, “I told her this is a sign of a really good start.”

BGSU was the first and only university Drinkert, from Fowlerville, Michigan, toured as a senior in high school. Her initial plan was to visit a few other universities, but mid-way through the campus tour, Drinkert decided there was no need.

Drinkert is part of the Class of 2027, one of the University’s largest freshman classes in recent years, with nearly 3,500 students enrolled for Fall 2023. More than 98% of first-year students live in residence halls at BGSU, and choosing a room on campus is an entirely randomized process.

Drinkert said she received one of the last room selection time slots available, and when she started looking at her options, there were only a few rooms left in Kreisher Quadrangle.

“I just picked a random room and didn’t think anything of it,” Drinkert said.

Drinkert is majoring in adolescence to young adult education in the BGSU College of Education and Human Development, ranked as one of the top programs nationally for education by U.S. News and World Report.

BGSU is Ohio's largest producer of teacher education graduates, and according to a study by Payscale, the University’s graduates are paid more on average than other graduates in the state.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Drinkert said she was inspired to become a teacher to create an inclusive environment for students, like several educators did for her.

“I had a few really amazing teachers who were extremely accepting and created a safe space for me, and I hope to be that kind of teacher for my future students,” she said. “I’ve gotten that same kind of welcoming and safe feeling at BGSU. Everyone has been so accepting, and I’m really excited for what lies ahead.”