In Their Own Words
More Alumni Insights on Life's Pivotal Moments
Every day is a blank Bristol board. If I'm going to create a day that is honorable and admirable, it starts with humility and patience.
Sociology-Anthropology major turned pen-and-ink illustrator
Mark Cowper '90 arrived at OWU with the goal of eventually transferring to an architecture school—his dream was to design buildings. "I had been sketching houses and floorplans since I was a kid," he says. Mark never made it to architecture school, but he never stopped drawing. Today he is the owner of Cowper, Ink., creating pen-and-ink architectural illustrations for clients across the country. His path there included a sociology degree, a stint as house advisor for his old fraternity, and years as an assistant golf professional in Delaware, Ohio.
At a certain point, I had to be honest with myself about what was working and what wasn't. Walking away from something I had invested so much in wasn't easy, but it reinforced that you're responsible for your own path—and that making a hard call early can change everything.
Sociology & Anthropology major turned pen-and-ink illustrator
Sam Duplessis '08 majored in music education at OWU and earned a master's in conducting from the New England Conservatory. But even three concurrent jobs as a professional musician (church music director, freelance conductor, and professional singer) weren't enough to sustain the life he wanted. A day job in admissions at the University of Chicago opened a different door. He now works in higher education development, bringing to donor relations the same philosophy he learned at the podium: "the performance only works when everyone is reading from the same score, so to speak."
Don't be afraid to pivot or switch gears for a little while. Especially if you just need a paycheck while you look for something more on-brand for you. It doesn't have to be permanent, and if it does become permanent, then was it really so bad?
Neuroscience major turned nonprofit and advancement professional
Kevin Rossi '17 came to OWU planning to earn a doctorate in biology. By senior year, Kevin realized they were more energized by extracurriculars than research—leading their fraternity chapter, organizing in their community, and eventually chairing Laramie Pridefest. Kevin went on to work as a grant coordinator at a community foundation before returning to OWU as an advancement research analyst. And they're currently enrolled at OWU again, taking classes thanks to a staff tuition benefit, for fun and to stay sharp.
Hold your plans loosely, keep a learning and growth mindset, stay positive about many options, and be incredibly curious about what is next. Good to be prepared and have a plan—but also stay flexible, open, and curious about where life might take you!
Politics & Government and Journalism double-major turned executive leadership coach
Evelyn Walter '91 left OWU expecting to become a college administrator, went to graduate school for that, and worked on two college campuses before realizing higher education administration wasn't the career for her. She moved into HR leadership, spending more than 25 years in global corporate environments at companies including Clorox, Vail Resorts, and Cummins before launching Next Up Leadership Group, her executive coaching and leadership consulting practice, in 2022.
Enjoy the journey—you don't have to make up your mind. … I'm grateful for the liberal arts education I had. It provided me the opportunity to take a leadership course, a math course, a science course, a musical theory course—I even took an athletic dance class.
Elementary Education major turned community college president
L. Marshall Washington '91 was the first in his family to earn a college degree. The Columbus native spent three summers on OWU's campus as a student in the university's Upward Bound program before enrolling—and it was there that his path began to take shape. He majored in elementary education at OWU, where he met his wife, Tonja Embry Washington '89, while planning a Black History dinner—she handled the decorating; he did the cooking. "That's still true today," he says. Marshall has served as president of Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Michigan since 2018, and is only the third president in the institution's history.