BEREA, OHIO (June 27, 2024) — The following college students from our area graduated from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, in May:
Alex Minyard of Milan (61264), a graduate of Rockridge High School, graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts: Theatre Acting and Directing.
Tia Reed of Davenport (52806), a graduate of Bluffton High School, graduated with a Bachelor of Science: Biology.
While the reverberations of COVID-19 have faded, Baldwin Wallace University's 174th Commencement exercises noted how the pandemic shaped the college experience for those who completed high school when the pandemic upended the world.
With in-person high school graduation exercises canceled that spring, the pomp and pageantry celebrating the BW Class of 2024 on Saturday, May 4, was a first for 638 graduates earning Bachelor's and Master's degrees.
The Class of 2024 also heard a keynote address by Glenn Barrett ('71), founder and CEO of OrthoLite Inc. The globally-acclaimed leader of the high-performance footwear manufacturer, including an innovative, comfortable, and sustainable insole used by the world's most iconic shoe brands, applauded the grads for their resilience since ending high school and entering college in uncertain times.
"Many of you attended school online and in your pajamas and didn't get to go to your prom or high school graduation in person," he noted. "Most of you met each other and attended classes wearing masks."
Barrett explained his winding career path from ski instructor to sales job to entrepreneur, advising, "Don't expect to have it figured out when you walk out of here today. Just keep an open mind and continue listening, learning and exploring your possibilities."
Barrett said he is amazed to reflect on his career fifty years after graduating from BW. "And you all will surely look back on this moment in five, ten, twenty, or fifty years and be amazed at what you have been able to accomplish and experience in your lives," he concluded.
View the video of the entire Baldwin Wallace Spring Commencement 2024. View commencement day photos on BW's flagship Instagram and Facebook pages.
Baldwin Wallace University, founded in 1845, was one of the first colleges to admit students without regard to race or gender. An independent, coeducational university of 3,500 students, BW offers coursework in the liberal-arts tradition in more than eighty academic areas. Located in Berea, twelve miles from downtown Cleveland, BW offers students the cultural, educational, and business advantages of a major metropolitan area.
