By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Cole Nemeth’s lessons in community service and leadership have always been close at hand. He has been surrounded by family members—parents and grandparents—who have modeled what it means to be leaders in their communities and dedicated to others.
The Bowling Green resident and third-year nursing student at Bowling Green State University recently was tapped by Gov. Mike DeWine to be the undergraduate student representative to the BGSU Board of Trustees. He may be the first student from Bowling Green to be named to the position. His term runs from June 30, 2023, to May 17, 2025.
Nemeth’s strong record in leadership and involvement on campus, primarily in the Chapman Learning Community and Resident Student Association (RSA), has provided valuable experience for the role he has been given.
“I spent two years prolifically involved in the Chapman Learning Community, which focuses on service and leadership,” he said. “At Chapman, we learn how to become better leaders in all facets, with service through nonprofits an important component.”
As a Chapman Student Leader this past year, he supervised a group of first- and second-year Chapman students, assisting them with academics and their own leadership exploration. He organized and implemented a service event in partnership with a nonprofit to mail appreciation letters to service members and helped raise awareness for children’s cancer research through a St. Baldrick’s event.
Near and dear to his heart is work with the university’s Student Green Fund and a project “to make sure we get all recyclables at the right place, so they are not disposed of improperly,” he said.
Among Nemeth’s additional service work that he found especially meaningful was helping at H.O.O.V.E.S. (Horses of our Veterans Equine Services) in Swanton, an organization that enlists rescue horses to help veterans transform post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth.
Brett Holden, coordinator for Learning Communities and director of the Chapman Learning Community, is one of Nemeth’s mentors and cheerleaders. “Cole showed outstanding leadership in his first year at Chapman. His level of responsibility and experience is hard to compare,” Holden said.
“He has taken advantage of everything that Chapman offers, and this success is a reflection of that experience,” Holden added. “Something within him called him to serve. He’s actively pursuing opportunities to shape and change lives.”
Nemeth said the call to service comes from his parents, Dana and Mike Nemeth, and his grandparents Kay and Dorsey Sergent.
“I have an amazing family,” he said. His mother is very involved in Kiwanis, as was her father, who was recently recognized for 50 years of membership. His grandmother has been active in the League of Women Voters and was named Bowling Green Citizen of the Year in 1996. His parents are both BGSU alumni and his grandfather, Joseph Nemeth, was a BGSU professor and director of the reading center.
“I’ve certainly been inspired to make a difference and to help others. That’s what my family has instilled in me,” he said.
His service and leadership skills carried over to the Resident Student Association, where he was unanimously elected to serve as president of Kohl Hall, where the learning community is located. When the representatives for Conklin Hall and the Greek Village had to step away after the start of the year, Nemeth picked up their responsibilities, becoming the voice on RSA for nearly 2,000 resident students on campus.
The message to all his constituents was, “If your hall needs help, let’s do it together, let’s collaborate.”
“I think that helped RSA have a stand-out year because everyone was cooperating and communicating and working together to get people to events. It was a great community, and I was glad to be a part of it,” he said.
Nemeth said his work with RSA demonstrated the importance of communication and collaboration. While he couldn’t always talk directly to the students in Conklin and the Greek village, he kept in touch with the resident advisers and staff to keep him apprised of what was going on in those residence halls and fraternity and sorority houses. He also praised the RSA cabinet and staff for working together on projects such as adding water bottle fillers.
Both leadership roles in Chapman and RSA gave him experiences that will carry over into the trustee position.
“The role of a student trustee is to ensure that the student’s voices are heard and considered in the university’s governance,” he said. He believes keeping students’ best interests at heart is vital.
Patrick D. Pauken, secretary to the board of trustees, has worked with graduate and undergraduate student trustees for 14 years. “Cole is passionate and energetic, and he has wonderful and accomplished leadership experiences. I look very forward to working with him,” he said.
“Trustee Nemeth has excelled in the classroom while being an engaged student leader in our learning community, dedicated to service and public good. I look forward to the student voice and perspective he will bring to the board,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers
Nemeth is a huge advocate for BGSU’s focus on the public good.
“BGSU is a public university for the public good, and to help justify that, there needs to be a voice that can speak for the public student interest,” Nemeth said. “I really like that word ‘public’ when it’s talking about what’s important in the big picture.”
Though Nemeth is not a sitting member of the Undergraduate Student Government, as the student trustee, representing that body’s interests and other student organizations on campus is another important responsibility. He plans to work closely and do a better job of communicating with USG and other student organizations.
With an additional job in the coming year as vice president of administration and marketing for the RSA executive board, he is excited about advocating for student leadership across campus. “We all have a common purpose on campus to support the student experience,” he said. “My ultimate goal is to get more students involved. I want to be remembered as the trustee who inspired others to make changes on this campus and accomplish their goals.
“If there’s one thing Chapman taught me it is that being a leader is not about the big moments; it’s about those really tiny moments that you might not realize you have impacted another person’s life. I don’t want to be remembered for anything other than inspiring others.”
