Ryan's Story

Ryan Wong, B.S. in Education – Major in Sport Management (2014)
Student Supervisor – SRC Facilities (2012-2014)

The opportunities that the department presents to their employees are endless, and I can't say how thankful and proud I am to say I have worked for THE best department throughout BGSU.I would like to start off by thanking the Department of Recreation and Wellness for two and a half of the most influential years of my college career. The fall of 2012 is when I came aboard the amazing SRC team, not knowing that it would eventually turn into my second home and a passion of mine. Working for the department has made me grow in so many ways, as a student, professional, leader, and young man. I tell everyone if they want a job while going through school to apply for a job in Rec Well as the department presents so many opportunities to its staff!

I was hired in as a Floor Attendant at the SRC, and simply thought of the job as just a way to make a little extra cash so I could eat off campus once in a while or maybe to get a few winks from some cute girls (kidding). It didn't take long at all before I noticed that every staff member from student staff to professional staff was passionate for the job they were doing, and sincerely enjoyed working and getting to know their coworkers. Seeing everyone so dedicated to their work inspired me to be the best employee I could be. Taking the inspiration that I was given by staff members, I applied it to my daily life and my job at the SRC, which ultimately led me to apply for the Center Manager position and eventually the Student Supervisor of Facilities. Both of these promotions were great stepping stones in the right direction for me to grow as a leader. I thank you for giving your employees the opportunity to gain leadership skills that they may have never acquired otherwise.

I would now like to thank the Department for making it possible for myself and fellow co-workers to attend and present at several conferences. I had the privilege of attending the Region III Lead On conference at the University of Michigan, and the Ohio Recreational Sports Association (ORSA) conference at Cleveland State University which I presented at. Although I may not be the best public speaker at the moment, it was the encouraging words of all the professional staff that made it so much easier and to actually submit the presentation proposal. Thank you again for providing the funds for your employees to have the opportunity to attend these conferences and grow as a professional.

After two and a half years working at the SRC I have discovered my passion for campus recreation and will try to pursue a career in that. Whether I continue on the course of campus recreation or not, I know the experience I have gained here will help me immensely in any career path I go down. For those that do not know, I will be doing an internship at Florida Gulf Coast University at their Student Recreation Center as a Facilities and Marketing Intern.

The opportunities that the department presents to their employees are endless, and I can't say how thankful and proud I am to say I have worked for THE best department throughout BGSU. The experience I have had with this job that was only supposed to make me a little extra cash for food, turned out to be one of the best experiences I have had at Bowling Green State University, and I sincerely thank you for that. Each and every professional staff has contributed to my great experience at the SRC, even you Scott! Thank you again for everything, best of luck and Roll Along!

*After graduating Ryan decided to continue his education by working toward a master's degree at the University of Houston. He accepted a position of graduate assistant of facilities for the University of Houston Department of Recreation and Wellness.