LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The University of Northwestern Ohio's class of 2023 walked across the stage and towards their next chapter on Sunday.
762 students from 26 states, plus Puerto Rico, and 13 different countries are now official UNOH alumni. It's the first class to finish their degrees completely in person since COVID, and one of the largest classes of accomplished graduates the school has seen.
"Most of them have perfect attendance, most of them are graduating with honors. I mean, this is really a special class in that regard, but our history is that most of our graduates have a job before they graduate, so we're blessed with that," said Dr. Jeff Jarvis, the president of UNOH.
Many graduates had no trouble getting the attention of employers, already boasting resumes full of practical experience and internships before they completed their studies.
"In the high-performance building, each class has its own shop and we're constantly in there working on racecars every day. I mean, what college in the country are you working on racecars in school every day? It's just awesome, you learn so much from teachers who have so much experience in all the fields and it's just an awesome time," said Jaz Crowley, who graduated with an associate's degree in automotive high-performance.
"The job definitely came out of nowhere for me. It's a really great opportunity and I'm going to take advantage of it. I am very passionate about agriculture and educating people about it so I think this job is going to open many doors and allow me to pursue my dreams," added Madelyn Downing, graduating with an associate's degree in agribusiness marketing and management.
The school invited Dan Briggs, founder of multiple successful companies in the renewable energy industries, to receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and leave the class of 2023 with some advice to carry with them as they start new careers or continue their education.
"It really is about determination. There's nothing in today's world that isn't available to us, information-wise. But it's about how you apply that. The fact that you're able to go after whatever the task is at hand and go complete that task and the ability to follow through," Briggs said.
Congratulations and good luck to the UNOH class of 2023.
