If you are unaware, there is this university in the corner of Northwest Ohio that is pretty specular. Most days, the faculty/staff/students of Bowling Green State University can be seen wearing orange and brown, as well as riding bikes and interacting with masked characters that hand out Laffy Taffy. SicSic is their name, and we love them dearly, as well as Freddie and Freida, Ay Ziggy Zoomba, and everything else that makes BGSU special. The best way that BGSU can be described, is through the Bowling Green State University creed, and it goes like this:

I am a Falcon.

We are all Falcons. By uttering "I am a Falcon", we enter a family that we will never leave. When we depart from this university, will have memories, of all kinds, at BGSU and people that we most definitely will never forget. That, to me, shows how strong the Falcon Family ties are.

I value an education inside and outside of the classroom.

Obviously, we have all decided to attend BGSU because we want to obtain a degree in our perspective field. We want to become doctors, lawyers, journalists, actors, speech therapists, business professionals, teachers, etc. While we value what we learn inside the academic buildings on campus, we also value what we learn outside of them. We value what we learn through being in different organizations. We value what we learn through living in a dorm setting. We value what we learn at 4am during in-depth talks with friends who have become family. The classroom is important, but so is everything else that is part of the college experience.

I aspire to be an engaged global citizen and leader.

As part of being an engaged and global leader, I must put myself in situations that help me to grow in my education, and as a person. While I have been at BGSU, I have done this through taking challenging classes, as well as becoming involved on campus. Both of these decisions are already paying off, and I know they will help me in the future.

I seek service to improve my community.

The picture below includes members of different sorority chapters at BGSU. Aside from sororities, fraternities and other service groups exist on campus. Each of these groups touches the community of Bowling Green and the communities around us in different ways, and they truly do make an impact.

I collaborate with fellow Falcons in changing the world.

Regardless of what major you are at BGSU, you will collaborate with someone for a project at some point during your college career. These points of collaboration with other students are vital for establishing life long connections, and for making your projects successful. Together, BGSU Falcons have the ability to change the world individually, but also together.

I promote diversity, respect, and a culture of inclusion.

Below is a photo from the BGSU Latino Student Union (LSU). They have events and meetings on campus every year. Like LSU there are other groups on campus as well that promote diversity, respect, and a culture of inclusion. BGSU believes that this is vital in helping to form the minds of young people and in creating citizens that will be lead our country in the future.

I pursue excellence in all I do.

Whether it is in the classroom, on the field, on the stage, in a meeting room, or anywhere else, BGSU students pursue excellence in all that they do. The university provides use with opportunities to excel at our strong suits and to grow in our weak spots, and that is something that is very important.

I support my Falcon family.

Supporting the Falcon family does not only mean attending sporting events, although that can be part of it. Supporting the Falcon family is something that is different for each and every person that attends the university. For some it is sporting events, while for others it may be watching their friends in comedy shows or going to see their friends in a play or musical. Here at BGSU, one can find support from others in anything they set their minds on doing.

I believe in BGSU.

BGSU is sometimes a forgotten gem, tucked in the Northwest corner of Ohio. I believe in BGSU, and I believe that others who attended this university do as well. For us, it is a place we enter as freshmen and leave four, five or even six years later, with a better understanding of who we are, with memories, with life lessons, and with life long friends.

I am a Falcon.

I am a Falcon, and a very honored and proud one at that.

BGSU, to me, has always felt like a place where I belonged. Even at the beginning, when I hadn't quite found my niche yet, I knew that eventually I would. I am so proud to be a Falcon, to receive my education from here, and someday I will also be a very proud and active alumna. Talons Up!