Ashland University is a place I hold close to my heart. From the small town, to the classrooms, everything about this university speaks “home.” Although I lived in Ashland for a little over three years prior to attending this school, every time we would drive by campus I could not stop admiring the beauty the campus holds, not only in the summer, but in winter, as well.
Were it not for Ashland University, I likely wouldn’t have met—let alone received the expert tutelage of—Dr. David McCoy, Dr. Gretchen Dworznik, Steve Suess, Tim McCarty, John Skrada, Matt Tullis, Maggie Cogar, Jim Hurguy, Rob Fisher and found myself a part of such a #ROBUST program as AU’s Journalism and Digital Media department.
I wouldn’t have been a part of such a vibrant, dynamic organization as WRDL, and I wouldn’t have had such an audacious, magnanimous leader as Derek Wood, who provided me the opportunity to unleash the #NESBITTMOVEMENT upon the world.
I wouldn’t have worked alongside—let alone befriended—such fabulous souls as Benjamin “Bro. B.I.B.” Black (and his family), Kate Lentz, Chelsi Hickey, Zach Lindesmith, Tom Prizeman, Halee Heironimus, Callen Pugh, Sean Honaker, Kate Siefert, Vince Lester, Connor “Big Con” Dunwoodie, Tyler “War Machine” Lance, Renee Borcas, Bex Hunter, Sage Haines, Zach Portner, Noah Cloonan, Waylon O’Donnell, Jakes Rayman and Smith, Ingrid Schmidt, Erich Metze, Eli Johnson, Michaela Ping, Niko Scarlatos, Dino Paolucci, Glenn Rausch, Kellie Pleshinger, Paul Murray, Sam Didion and all the rest of my JDM peers.
I wouldn’t have had my writing, performing and life enriched by the lessons and encouragement I received from Drs. Durbin-Ames, Swanson, Lehman, Sullivan (both of them), Schmidt-Rinehart, O’Rourke, Weidenhamer, Grady, Lyons, Cummins, Dickson, Metzger, Weaver, Waterman, Mackall, Fleming, Gray, Saslaw, Donatini and all the rest of AU’s phenomenal faculty.
I wouldn’t have joined the ranks of Rachael Wyant, Bethany Meadows, Grace McCourt, David Grim, Alexander Majors, Jacob Dingus, Josh Frey, Jackson Yenor, Zac Hoffman. Alyssa Predota, Hannah Wittkopf, Danielle Smith, Joe Guadiz, Kate Randall, Zoe Scarpone, Grace Reichard, Kiki Ziegler, Alec Temple, Jacob Nestle, Emma Garver, Alexis Lough, Destiny Camp, Niki Drake, Olivia Bosse, Niki Drake, Julia Newberry and the other members of AU’s illustrious honors program.
I wouldn’t have spent so much time with Mitch Ellis (and brother Brendan), Omar Alzu’bi, Zaid Ahmad, Azooz Alsaleh, Kamal Garg, Mohammed Tayyem, Cam Middis, Stephen Zhou, Nick Mikovits, Tom Miller, Kristen Matz, Maddy Hoy, Janel Molnar and everyone else who made the Rec Center such a fun place to be.
I wouldn’t have had the privilege to cover the pursuits of and become acquainted with athletes on the order of Laina (…) Snyder, Alex Henning, Brook Turson, Boo Osborne, Torin Wetzel, Ben Haraway, Kaitlin Bean, Travis Tarnowski, Andrew Vaughn, Vance Settlemire, Donzale Ashley, Noah Gehron, Zach Olszewski, Brandon Gency (and sister Bethany), “GREGORIO,” Lance Myers (#withthewalkoffhomerun), Tyler Seymour, Ivan Wortman, Patrick Mikal, Sergio Sanchis and Trent Balduff, to name just a select few.
Were it not for Ashland University, none of these people would be in my life, and none of the experiences we shared would have made me into the man I am today.
Thank you, Ashland.
