Momentous Beginning
Ohio Wesleyan Welcomes Class of 2030, Celebrates Campus Renaissance with Decade-High Enrollment
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University's rebellion of boldness, kindness, and innovation continues to resonate with students and families as OWU celebrates its largest total enrollment in more than a decade and its largest back-to-back classes of more than 500 students for the first time in 14 years.
Ohio Wesleyan welcomed its Class of 2030 on Aug. 20, with more than 520 new students, including 50 transfer students. Combined, the university anticipates a fall enrollment of approximately 1,675 students, representing both OWU's largest total enrollment since 2015 and an increase of more than 300 students (25%) since 2021.
Along with the largest total enrollment in 11 years, Ohio Wesleyan also achieves consecutive classes of more than 500 students for the first time since 2012. Last year's incoming class of 568 students was OWU's largest in 17 years.
'We Expect You to Wonder'
During a welcome-to-campus convocation ceremony with new students and their families, Ohio Wesleyan President Matt vandenBerg, Ed.D., shared the value and purpose of an OWU education.
"From the very beginning," vandenBerg told the crowd, "OWU has stood for a simple but powerful idea: Education should bring you freedom. The freedom to ask questions. The freedom to test ideas. The freedom to seek truth. The freedom to encounter people who see the world differently.
"At OWU, we don't tell you what to think. We teach you how to think for yourself. You are not here simply to accept someone else's answers. You are here to obtain the freedom to find your own. …
"We expect you to wonder," vandenBerg said. "We expect you to try things, to change your mind, and to surprise yourself. Uncertainty isn't something to eliminate before your education begins. Uncertainty is the raw material of greatness.
'Embrace the Journey'
Senior Oyindoubra "Doubra" Akika of Nigeria, president of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs, also spoke at convocation, sharing advice she would give herself as a first-year student.
"Say yes to everything – within reason," said Akika, who is triple-majoring in Quantitative Economics, International Studies, and Psychology, and minoring in French. "You never know what opportunities are waiting for you, so just embrace the journey. …
"Use all your resources," she continued. "Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. We can't do everything ourselves, even if we'd like to. …
"Have a little faith in yourself and push yourself to be the best version of yourself that you can be. College is for you. It's your time of self-discovery. …
"You're allowed to change your mind here," Akika continued. "You are allowed to outgrow things. You're allowed to have a bad grade. … We may not always get it right at the start, but the beautiful thing is that you get to try again. You get to learn and to adjust.
"Give yourself permission to not have it all figured out. … You get out of OWU what you put in, I think, so put in something great and take a chance because you never know what it will lead to. … I hope your OWU journey brings you nothing short of joy."
Meet Your Classmates
Adam Smith, MBA, Ohio Wesleyan's vice president for enrollment, officially presented the new Class of 2030 and shared information about the students to help them and their families get acquainted.
"A few months ago, more than 6,000 students applied to Ohio Wesleyan," Smith said. "Today, around 520 of you are sitting in the audience. … And because my colleagues and I had the privilege of reading (your applications) and learning your stories, I thought I'd spend a few minutes telling everyone just a little bit about the Class of 2030.
'An Oustanding Group'
- You represent 34 states and 17 countries.
- 38% of you are the first in your family to attend college. For many families here today, this moment represents an incredible milestone that's been generations in the making.
- And 10% of you are continuing an OWU family tradition as legacy students.
'Academically Talented'
- 129 of you were members of the National Honor Society.
- Several of you arrive at OWU having already earned an Associate of Science degree while still in high school.
- And 13 of you have already studied abroad or participated in an international exchange program.
Outside the Classroom
- Nearly 300 of you competed in varsity athletics.
- More than 200 participated in music or theater.
- Dozens of you served as club presidents and student government leaders.
- And 16 of you earned some of the highest honors in Scouting."
Amazing Experiences
- Among you is a Navy veteran who has served our country.
- A Special Olympics swim instructor.
- Someone who led a team that raised $40,000 for cancer research.
- A competitive mixed martial artist who earned bronze and silver medals in world championship competition.
- Someone selected for the FBI Teen Academy.
- Someone who trained at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
- A Junior Master Herpetologist, or someone who studies reptiles and amphibians.
- A certified medical assistant.
- An entrepreneur who runs an online business – and another who is part-owner of a mobile drink truck.
- Someone who built apps through hackathons, won first place two years in a row, and was recognized at the Ohio Statehouse.
- Someone who founded and managed an online school within one of the world's largest communities of Minecraft artists.
- Someone who speaks five languages.
- Someone who spent 16 months in Hong Kong and learned Cantonese and Mandarin.
- Someone who spent eight months interning at the Columbus Zoo, caring for animals and learning species-specific care.
- Someone who built his own forge to create blacksmithing tools.
- A self-taught audio engineer who has produced songs with more than 15 million streams on Spotify.
- And, yes, one of you literally gets paid to scare people as a cast member at one of the nation's top-rated haunted attractions.
"That's the Class of 2030," Smith said, "and as impressive as all of that is, I believe the best part of your story is still ahead of you. … Class of 2030, we've been excited to welcome you. Now we can't wait to see what you do."
'Learning Something'
Dale Brugh, Ph.D., interim provost (OWU's chief academic officer) and former chemistry professor, shared advice about learning and growing with the new Bishops.
"So let me tell you a secret about you from a chemist's and scientist's perspective," Brugh told the group. "Somewhere in the past year, somebody – a parent, a counselor, a relative, a friend – asked what you're going to major in or what you wanted to be. And you gave an answer, probably. Maybe confidently. Maybe through gritted teeth. That answer was a hypothesis.
"And hypotheses aren't promises," Brugh said. "They're starting points, meant to be tested. When a hypothesis turns out wrong, we don't call that a failure. We scientists and chemists have a technical term for it: learning something. … You're here to figure it out. And Ohio Wesleyan is built for that from the ground up."
A Bell-Ringing Beginning
After his remarks, President vandenBerg concluded convocation by ringing the historic handbell used to open and close each academic year. The students then took the traditional First Lap around campus, cheered on by their families, upperclass students, OWU faculty and staff, and community members. The students will take a Final Lap as graduating seniors.
Learn about becoming a Bishop at owu.edu/admission.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.