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<\/a>Lori and Jordan Boyer in 2001 and 2019<\/p><\/div>At 48 years old, Lori Boyer is set to take the stage and grasp her diploma on the same day as her son, Jordan. <\/p>\n
Lori, a preschool teacher, started taking classes at UToledo in 1990, but stopped to raise her three children. <\/p>\n
After returning in January to cross the finish line, the UToledo employee at the Early Learning Center is graduating from University College with a bachelor\u2019s degree in an individualized program of early childhood education and educational leadership. Her son is graduating from the College of Engineering with a bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science and engineering technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am proud to share this special moment with my oldest son,\u201d Boyer said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to me to prove to all of my children that you can accomplish anything no matter what point you are in life. I accomplished something I set out to do a long time ago, and it has the potential to take me in different directions in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fall commencement also is a family affair for a brother-and-sister duo who worked side by side as undergraduates in the same exercise biology research lab. <\/p>\n
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<\/a>Nicole and Dylan Sarieh<\/p><\/div>Dylan and Nicole Sarieh, two-thirds of a set of fraternal triplets, both chose to study exercise science as pre-med students in the College of Health and Human Services, while their brother studies business at UToledo.<\/p>\n
Together, Dylan and Nicole researched the molecular regulation of skeletal muscle growth under the guidance of Dr. Thomas McLoughlin, associate professor in the School of Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, in order to help clinicians develop ways to help patients grow stronger after suffering from muscle loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opportunity to do real, meaningful, hands-on work in the lab definitely built our confidence and opened our eyes to what is important,\u201d Dylan said about his undergraduate research experience. \u201cMy sister and I both plan to next go to medical school. She wants to be a dermatologist, and I want to be a general physician.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether at home, in the classroom or in the lab, I always had someone I could lean on who was tackling the same challenges,\u201d Nicole said. \u201cPutting our two brains together \u2014 even during car rides \u2014 made a big difference in our success.\u201d<\/p>\n
For some graduates, they found love and are starting their own family.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/McKenna-Wirebaugh.jpg\")
<\/a>McKenna Wirebaugh completed a co-op at the BP Whiting Refinery in Whiting, Ind. This photo shows Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.<\/p><\/div>McKenna Wirebaugh, who is graduating with a bachelor\u2019s degree in chemical engineering, met her soon-to-be husband at UToledo. Both she and Travis Mang, her fianc\u00e9, will receive degrees Saturday.<\/p>\n
Turns out, planning their upcoming wedding is the only item left on the to-do list. Wirebaugh secured a full-time job as a process engineer at BP\u2019s Cherry Point Refinery in Blaine, Wash., located about 40 minutes south of Vancouver. She is scheduled to start her new job in March, about a month after her honeymoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chose to go to UToledo because of the mandatory co-op program in engineering,\u201d Wirebaugh said. \u201cIt guaranteed I would have a paycheck while in school and build my resum\u00e9. I\u2019m grateful for my decision because it ended up launching my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wirebaugh completed four co-op rotations with BP while at UToledo. She also helped build a water purification unit that was sent to Ecuador through the nonprofit organization Clean Water for the World. <\/p>\n
Her favorite experience as a student in the Jesup Scott Honors College was a class focusing on creativity. For a group project on the dangers of cell-phone use, they brought in a PlayStation 2 system and challenged students to text and drive on Mario Kart without crashing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy professors have truly cared about me inside and outside of my academic career,\u201d Wirebaugh said. \u201cI don\u2019t see the friendships I’ve made here ending anytime soon.” <\/p>\n
In the event of inclement weather, the approximately two-hour commencement ceremonies will be moved to Sunday, Dec. 15. <\/p>\n
For those unable to attend, the ceremonies will stream live at video.utoledo.edu<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n