BGSU to hold Spring 2025 Commencement exercises May 2-3

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4. BGSU to hold Spring 2025 Commencement exercises May 2-3

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Honoring the academic achievements of the Class of 2025, Bowling Green State University will hold its Spring Commencement exercises on Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, at the Stroh Center.

The 312th Commencement celebration at BGSU will start at 7 p.m. on May 2 with the Doctoral Hooding and Graduate College Ceremony for doctoral and master's degree candidates.

All undergraduate degree candidates will have the opportunity to participate in one of three ceremonies on May 3, with the first taking place at 9 a.m. for students from the College of Arts and Sciences and BGSU Firelands. A second ceremony will start at 2 p.m. for bachelor's degree candidates in the College of Education and Human Development and College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering. The third ceremony of the day will begin at 7 p.m. for candidates from the Schmidthorst College of Business, College of Health and Human Services and College of Musical Arts.

In total, the BGSU Spring 2025 graduating class includes 2,524 candidates, of which 98 will be awarded associate degrees, 1,904 will be awarded with bachelor's degrees, 493 with master's degrees and 38 with doctoral degrees.

BGSU baseball, MLB great Orel Hershiser to serve as Commencement speaker
For all three undergraduate ceremonies on May 3, BGSU will welcome former Falcons baseball player and MLB great Orel Hershiser to campus as Commencement speaker, where he will share his story of perseverance and journey to becoming a major league standout.

Hershiser's freshman season at BGSU proved to be a trying one, as he was briefly academically ineligible before turning the course of his academic and baseball careers around. He re-committed to his craft and broke out as a sophomore in 1979, which included a no-hitter against Kent State. The unleashed potential drew the attention of the Dodgers, who drafted him in the 17th round later that year.

Hershiser spent 1979 to 1983 in the minor leagues until the Dodgers promoted him in September of that season. When the team broke Spring Training in 1984, Hershiser had won a spot in the rotation. After 12 seasons with the Dodgers - where he won the National League Cy Young Award and was named a World Series Most Valuable Player - Hershiser helped the Cleveland Indians win the American League pennant in 1995, their first since 1954, and again in 1997. Later in his career, he pitched for the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets before returning to L.A.

In recent years, Hershiser has re-engaged with BGSU, becoming a champion of the University, its baseball program and the many opportunities it offers to students.

For graduates or guests unable to attend, ceremonies will be livestreamed on BGSU YouTube and BGSU Facebook.

Graduates are encouraged to share their photos on social media using the hashtags #BGSUGrad and #BGSU2025.