April 25, 2008

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Stephanie M. Swiger of Findlay is the 2008 Outstanding Senior at Bowling Green State University. The award was announced Monday night (April 21) at Beyond BG, the senior farewell.

Swiger, the daughter of Dale and Becky Swiger, is a four-year standout on the BGSU volleyball team, the top senior female scholar-athlete and an active member of the campus community.

The political science major carries a 3.78 grade point average and has earned numerous honors, including membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa honoraries, Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Golden Key International Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success. She also has been recognized with the Who's Who Falcon Top 10% Award and in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

In addition to her distinction on the volleyball court, Swiger has taken on leadership roles within the athletic arena, serving as president of the BGSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, chair of the Mid-American Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the MAC representative to the NCAA Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she represents more than 4,000 MAC student-athletes.

Swiger in action during the 2007 season (photo by Seth Iiames)

Swiger has been involved in numerous community service activities throughout her college career. She most recently chaired the 2008 MAC Mile, a conference-wide project to collect shoes to be restored and sent to poor nations.

Swiger and her BG volleyball teammates spent some time with the kids at Toledo Children's Hospital over the Christmas holiday

Other seniors recognized at Beyond BG included Jeffrey Battiste, a mathematics and English major from Farmington Hills, Mich.; Kristen Braemer, an applied health science major from Pickerington; Jaime Hannan, a communication disorders major from Warren, Mich.; Lindsey Jonkhoff, a psychology major from Traverse City, Mich.; Krishna Mutgi, a biology major from Sylvania; Dan Stypa, an interpersonal communication major from Newton Falls; Leo Svoboda, a financial economics/economics major from Northville, Mich.; Whitney Taylor, a visual communication technology major from Wooster, and Robin Valpey, biology/psychology, Hornell, N.Y.

(Note: Jonkhoff is on the women's golf team, while Taylor recently completed her fourth season on the women's basketball team.)

The BGSU Student Alumni Connection coordinates the Outstanding Senior competition, now in its 15th year. Graduating seniors are nominated by their peers, and the top 10 candidates go through an extensive evaluation process. The Outstanding Senior is announced at Beyond BG festivities each year.

(Story courtesy BGSU Office of Marketing & Communications)