{"id":158765,"date":"2025-04-28T08:40:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T12:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=158765"},"modified":"2025-12-15T10:12:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T15:12:44","slug":"nearly-1460-students-to-graduate-at-wright-states-spring-commencement-ceremonies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/28\/nearly-1460-students-to-graduate-at-wright-states-spring-commencement-ceremonies\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearly 1,460 students to graduate at Wright State\u2019s spring commencement ceremonies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wright State University will hold its spring graduate commencement ceremony on Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m. and its undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 3, at 10 a.m. in the Nutter Center.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nearly 1,460 students are expected to graduate during Wright State University\u2019s spring 2025 commencement ceremonies<\/a> in the Wright State Nutter Center on Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3.<\/p>\n

The 1,459 graduates will join more than 120,000 Wright State alumni who are making a difference throughout Raider Country, all over Ohio, across the nation and around the world.<\/p>\n

Notable 2025 graduates<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whether through business, health care or public service, these three Wright State University graduates share a common thread \u2014 a deep commitment to making a difference. From mastering the business of people to bringing empathy to patient care to building a nonprofit across continents, Lily Leszczuk, Justin Zielske and Angela Bingaya are turning their passions into powerful paths forward.<\/p>\n

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A passion for learning how businesses work led Lily Leszczuk to pursue her own kind of grand slam by majoring in four areas.<\/p><\/div>\n

Lily Leszczuk: A grand slam of degrees and ambition<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A passion for learning how businesses work led Lily Leszczuk to pursue her own kind of grand slam by majoring in four areas:\u00a0marketing, management, human resource management and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people like to write, some like to draw,\u201d she said. \u201cI like to learn how businesses work, how they support and engage their employees through good times and bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leszczuk didn\u2019t have a clear path when she enrolled at Wright State, but she quickly discovered her interests.<\/p>\n

Finance and accounting courses helped her realize she was more drawn to the people-centered side of business. Management accounting piqued her interest, leading to classes in economics, marketing and international business.<\/p>\n

Her curiosity about business operations inspired her to explore human resources and entrepreneurship. She also participated in the Emerging Marketing Leaders Program, where she was mentored by a professional in health care marketing, and served as president of Wright State\u2019s American Marketing Association chapter.<\/p>\n

Wright State\u2019s proximity to home and the university\u2019s supportive environment were essential for Leszczuk, who has a hearing impairment. With help from the Office of Disability Services, including lecture transcripts, she thrived.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not just a campus with accessibility, but with real resources to help people,\u201d she said. \u201cThe culture here is really great.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduation, Leszczuk hopes to launch a career in HR or marketing, especially digital media, advertising, or scriptwriting. Ultimately, she dreams of turning her success into her own business, possibly centered on a board game she wants to develop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWright State gave me the tools I need,\u201d Leszczuk said. \u201cThe rest is up to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Justin Zielske will graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing.<\/p><\/div>\n

From stage to scrubs: Justin Zielske\u2019s path to health care<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Justin Zielske\u2019s passion for theater has helped him develop skills for his future in health care.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m quiet, so I want to be more talkative with patients to build trust and rapport,\u201d said Zielske, who is graduating this spring with a bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing. \u201cThe theater experience is teaching me to be more outgoing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acting also taught him the importance of emotional control.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are taught how even body language can affect the nurse’s connection with a patient,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Zielske, who spent much of his childhood in hospitals due to recurring infections, always felt drawn to health care. Supporting a relative through illness strengthened that interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI admired how we were treated,\u201d he said. \u201cThe nurses were always fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pandemic solidified his decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI read so many stories about nurses working way many hours of overtime per week just to make sure people were taken care of,\u201d he said. \u201cThat cemented it for me. I felt a calling.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Wright State, Zielske pursued nursing and a certificate in organizational leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about the best ways to use your personal strengths, which is fantastic,\u201d he said. \u201cThe focus is on your core leadership strengths and lean into that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He applies his strength \u2014 processing and retaining information \u2014 to clinical settings.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been able to apply everything I\u2019m learning to the clinical setting,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s easy for me to remember things about patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

To him, leadership means being a resource. He served as a president\u2019s ambassador and as vice president of the Dean\u2019s Student Advisory Board for the College of Health, Education and Human Services.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came here, I was unsure what to do, but Wright State has prepared me fantastically,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

After graduation, Zielske will begin his career as a registered nurse in the Heart and Lung Transplant Unit at the Cleveland Clinic.<\/p>\n

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Angela Bingaya enrolled in Wright State\u2019s Master of Public Administration program to help with her work with her family\u2019s nonprofit Zion Highway Mission.<\/p><\/div>\n

Angela Bingaya: Building a better future at home and abroad<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Angela Bingaya is driven by a mission to show that one person can make a difference.<\/p>\n

She enrolled in Wright State\u2019s Master of Public Administration program to gain the tools to expand her impact through her family\u2019s nonprofit Zion Highway Mission, which serves communities in Burundi and Dayton.<\/p>\n

\u201cI naturally like government, public policy and law. This major seemed to fit me the most,\u201d said Bingaya, who also earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in political science from Wright State. \u201cIt gave me the chance to explore and share research I developed as I was learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

For instance, she presented original research on public administration education, preparing students to work in local government and gendered leadership dynamics at three Wright State events.<\/p>\n

Bingaya and her family launched Zion Highway Mission in Burundi, one of the world\u2019s poorest nations.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of children don\u2019t have enough food, and their parents can\u2019t feed them,\u201d Bingaya said.<\/p>\n

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Angela Bingaya will graduate with a Master of Public Administration.<\/p><\/div>\n

Bingaya, her sister Bembeleza, and their mother, Pauline Bankesha, travel there regularly to distribute food, clothing and school supplies. Bingaya and her sister also lead fundraising efforts.<\/p>\n

The family also launched a branch of the nonprofit in Dayton to support teens and young adults in need of guidance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to help direct them back into school or back on track with their lives, whether that means helping them get into school or find a job,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Zion Highway Mission is central to Bingaya\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the basis for who I am and what I want to do \u2014 social justice, public service and helping those in need,\u201d she said. \u201cSomething my mother always taught us is to give of what we have to fill a need.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduation, Bingaya plans to pursue a law degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a passion to serve people in a bigger way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Spring commencement details<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wright State will hold two spring commencement ceremonies in the Nutter Center:<\/p>\n

Graduate Ceremony:<\/strong> Friday, May 2, 7:00 p.m.
\nUndergraduate Ceremony:<\/strong> Saturday, May 3, 10:00 a.m.<\/p>\n

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. Seating in the Wright State Nutter Center is first-come, first-served. Guests are limited to one clear bag per person and a small clutch bag<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Doors will open 90 minutes before the start of each ceremony. Guests should enter at gates 2, 3 and 4.<\/p>\n

The commencement ceremonies can be watched on Wright State\u2019s Facebook page<\/a> and YouTube channel<\/a>. The recorded videos will also be available on YouTube<\/a> after the ceremonies.<\/p>\n

Commencement will feature a brief congratulatory video message from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Dayton Campus ceremonies, the Lake Campus will host a commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 1, 5:30 p.m. at Romer’s Celina Ballroom, 1100 S. Main St. in Celina.<\/p>\n

This spring, Wright State will award 960 bachelor\u2019s degrees, 476 master\u2019s degrees, 10 doctoral degrees and 28 associate degrees.<\/p>\n

The class of 2025 includes 271 international students from 20 different countries, with India boasting the largest number of international graduates, at 215.<\/p>\n

The youngest graduating students are 18, earning bachelor\u2019s degrees in computer engineering and technical and applied studies. The oldest graduate is 73, earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in modern languages.<\/p>\n

Graduates by college:<\/strong><\/p>\n