Hundreds of Ohio Northern University seniors head off to the real world following the 151st commencement ceremony. 388 undergraduate and master’s degrees were handed out during the university’s third and final ceremony for this weekend. The College of Law and Pharmacy holding theirs on Saturday and Sunday morning graduating 42 and 127 respectively. One graduate who has been looking forward to the big day was student speaker Zach Beacschler. Two years ago, he says he circled the date on his calendar but adds leaving is bittersweet. Beaschler is a fourth-generation Polar Bear and the 9th in his family to graduate from ONU and he realizes the importance of his time at the University.
“I think the number one thing is people don’t realize when you leave Ohio Northern, obviously this world is very big, and when you leave Ohio Northern, ONU will always be a small piece of you,” says Zach Beacschler, 2022 ONU graduate. “It is kind of where you get your start in your career, but you should have it with you for the rest of your time on this earth. It has been a great run, and I couldn’t be prouder. If I could back in time but I wouldn’t change a thing. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
The President of Crown Equipment, James Dicke, III was the commencement speaker and he left graduates with a few phrases about life and how he interprets them like ‘Do what you love', ‘You will end up doing things that you hate,’ and ‘Life isn’t fair.’
“Maybe try and say to yourself, life isn’t fair, but so what,” adds James Dicke III, President of Crown Equipment Corporation. “For those of you who still aren’t convinced that life isn’t fair, consider this. You just spent 4 years of your life working under some pretty incredible challenging and unprecedented circumstances to earn a college degree from Ohio Northern University and they are going to give me one for delivering a 15-minute speech.” (Crowd laughs)
Besides the students wrapping up their school career, the commencement ceremonies also wrap up Ohio Northern’s celebration of their 150th anniversary.
