Wright State to celebrate 1,100 students graduating this weekend

The summer and fall classes of 2024 include graduates with 537 bachelor’s degrees, 480 master’s degrees, 34 doctoral degrees and 16 associate degrees, according to a statement from Wright State University.

The classes feature 279 international students from 22 different countries with India boasting the largest number of international graduates, with 231.

The youngest graduating student is 19, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. The oldest graduate is 66, earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Tickets are not required to attend, but graduates are asked to limit their guests to no more than 14 people so that everyone can be accommodated, the university said.

Seating in the Wright State Nutter Center is first-come, first-served. Doors will open 90 minutes before the start of each ceremony.

Guests should enter at gates 2, 3 and 4 and are limited to one clear bag per person and a small clutch bag for privacy.

Commencement will also feature a short congratulatory video from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

The commencement ceremonies can be watched online Wright State’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The recorded videos will also be available on YouTube after the ceremonies.

Graduates by college:

Notable 2024 graduates

Lexi Ricker

Ricker describes herself as overly busy student with her major, career path and numerous student organizations.

She serves as the University Activities Board president, Panhellenic Council vice president and vice president of recruitment, Student Involvement and Leadership Center involvement mentor and ‘67 Society president and Alpha Omicron PI sorority member. She was also crowned the 2024 Homecoming queen.

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She also helped organize some of Wright State’s largest student events, including April Craze, Fall Fest and Winter Fest, as president of the University Activities Board for WSU.

Ricker was also selected to speak on behalf of the class of 2024 at the commencement ceremony on Dec. 14.

She works full-time as an overnight 911 dispatcher at the Englewood Police Department, despite her full class schedule and her campus commitments.

“It just makes life so much more rewarding,” said Ricker, who also minors in forensic studies.

After graduating from Wright State, Ricker said she wishes to begin training to become a police officer. Her dream job is to work for the FBI, and she believes her degrees in psychology and organizational leadership will help her reach her goal.

Ben Kressbach

Kressbach is graduating with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and music with a minor in biochemistry.

What makes his story unusual is that as a high school student in his native San Antonio, he had never heard of Wright State until he started researching universities and discovered that Wright State would allow him to study chemistry and music.

“I like that Wright State is student-centric,” he said. “At other universities, I was told that I couldn’t major in both, that I had to pick one or the other. At Wright State, I was told frankly that it was possible to do both. It would be a lot of work, but possible. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Kressbach has served as a residential Peer Academic Leader, a President’s Ambassador, an officer on the Graduate and Honors Student Advisory Board and a member of the Provost’s Student Leadership Council at Wright State.

He also completed an Honors chemistry departmental research project and was a featured soloist during the Wright State Percussion Ensemble’s Nov. 25 concert.

He also performed with the Percussion Studio, performing mostly on marimba, and has helped teach percussion at Northeastern High School in Springfield.

“I’ve been able to teach, perform and explore different avenues,” he said. “Wright State is providing me the flexibility to do that.”

Kressbach has applied to several Ph.D. programs and wants to pursue a career in research in biochemistry or a related field.

He has no plans to give up music.

“I really enjoy playing in an ensemble,” he said. “And I want to continue with my composition efforts. I’ve written a couple percussion pieces. I’m still in the learning phase. I find it fun and fulfilling.”

Zach Ashby

Zach Ashby found the perfect opportunity to pursue his career goals in Wright State’s Master of Science in Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology program.

“I was drawn to Wright State because of its combined human factors and industrial/organizational psychology program. I had been torn between which of those to go into, but Wright State had both, and the non-thesis option,” said Ashby, who lived in Provo, Utah, with his wife and infant daughter before they moved to Ohio. “From what I found, it was the only place that offered the combined program.”

Ashby and his family arrived in Ohio for the start of the 2023 fall semester. The plan was for him to land a job, but as the months passed, the list of job applications that led nowhere grew.

Then a person at his church invited him to work at Barrett Paving as a consultant on a project that fit his skillset: analyzing and interpreting employee survey data and offering observations and suggestions on how to proceed.

His project went so well that the company offered him an internship, and after graduating Ashby will join Barrett Paving as a full-time employee.

Ashby’s work has attracted attention outside the region. For example, he has worked on an employee stretching program that is being implemented company-wide, including overseas with the parent company.

Ashby called the internship a blessing.

“Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t get any of the other jobs I applied to. Even though it was a long wait, this one is so much better in every way,” he said.

Ashby is also extremely glad he came to Wright State.

“Looking back at my graduate journey, I’m impressed with what I see,” he said. “I’ve grown both personally and professionally — much more than I thought I would. I can honestly say every challenge, and penny, has been worth it. I’m extremely grateful for the people here at Wright State who have helped me and I couldn’t have done it without them.”