4 Celebrities You May Not Know Went to BGSU

by John Amato

At Jupmode, we love to see people excel and get celebrated. That is why we love Bowling Green State University (BGSU).

You probably know it as one of the best public universities in the United States. However, did you know that it has produced several popular celebrities?

From academics to business, politics, entertainment, and sports, Bowling Green State University has produced many superstars who have changed the world.

Since its inception in 1910, BGSU has consistently produced several talented superstars because:

  • It has very high teaching standards
  • It has the highest GPA in the Midwest
  • It has a high student-athlete population
  • It has a lot of supportive infrastructure

Here are 4 celebrities you may not know attended Bowling Green State University.

1 - Anthony Doerr, Award-Winning Novelist

award-winning novelist, Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr is a 48-year-old literary fiction novelist. He has produced six novels, which have earned him worldwide acclaim.

Anthony Doerr is largely known for his novel, “All the Light We Cannot See.” The novel peaked at No.10 on the New York Times best-seller list.

It was also awarded a Pulitzer Prize for its ability to “explore human nature and the contradictory power of technology” in intricate and imaginative ways.

The novel also earned him the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

Currently, a film based on his work is being produced by Netflix. It's directed by Steve Knight, who produced Peaky Blinders.

BGSU consistently produces several talented superstars

His recent novel, “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” which was released in September 2021, was also a finalist for the National Book Award.

Doerr has also earned multiple awards. Currently, he holds:

  • Four O. Henry Prizes
  • Three Ohioana Book Awards 
  • Three Pushcart Prizes 
  • One New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award
  • One Rome Prize
  • One Story Prize
  • One National Magazine Award for fiction
  • One Barnes & Noble Discover Prize
  • One Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award

He has also been named a Guggenheim, and a National Endowment for the Arts fellow.

Doerr attended BGSU, where he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in 1999. During his stay, he was loved and respected by his colleagues.

Anthony still keeps in touch with the university’s community, too.

2 - Adam Furnas, Baseball Sensation & Jupmode Sales Rep

Adam Furnas hits a homerun

Adam Furnas is a student-athlete, who has achieved widespread national acclaim for his magic with the bat.

The 6’3” first baseman has represented BGSU Falcon’s male baseball team exceptionally well in several competitions.

Between 2020 and 2022, the prominent first baseman only missed two baseball games. He also had a batting average of .335 in 2021, which was one of the highest in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

His efforts have not gone unrewarded. In 2019, Furnas was awarded the Academic All-MAC honors for exceptional performance in academics and athletics.

In 2021, he was selected for the All-MAC Defensive Team, because of his exceptional defensive capabilities. He played first base.

On February 21st, 2022, he was named the MAC Player of the Week for leading his team to a 22-8 victory against St. Louis. During the game, he went 4-for-7, and 8-for-16 for the plate, one of the best performances in the season.

Adam Furnas is worth all the hype. Here is how he compares with the average players from the top ten teams in this year’s MAC championship.

Adam Furnas Average 2022 MAC player
Batting Average (AVG) .300 .282
Slugging Percentage (SLG%) .434 .369
On-base Percentage (OB%) .401 .378
Fielding Percentage (FLD%) .989 .968
Put Out .882 .802

In addition, the custom apparel company has partnered with Adam Furnas to produce his own NIL custom t-shirt.

While most people might tell you Orel Hershiser is the most famous BG baseball alum, we're here to tell you otherwise. 

After the commencement of his student-athlete career, Furnas joined Jupmode as an outside sales rep. Furnas helps businesses and individuals create their own custom apparel, and expand their brand. 

So yeah, OK, we might be a little biased on this one.

Adam Furnas’ Hometown custom t-shirt by Jupmode

3 - Jennifer Higdon, Three-time Grammy & Pulitzer Prize Winner

Jeniffer Higdon receives the 2010 Pulitzer Prize

Jeniffer Higdon is a 59-year-old classical music composer based in Philadelphia. She has received widespread fame and acclaim for her compositions, some of which have revolutionized contemporary classical music.

Born to a non-musical family, Higdon taught herself how to play the flute when she was 15 using the “First Division Band Method Part I: C Flute” guide.

She was inspired to learn the instrument after seeing a performance by Heritage High School’s marching band.

3 years later, she began her formal studies in music with a flute instructor who convinced her to apply to BGSU’s summer flute.

Subsequently, she enrolled as a flute performance major at Bowling Green State University, and graduated in 1986.

Since then, Higdon has composed several works, which have earned her several awards.

Higdon has won three Grammys. She was awarded her first Grammy in 2005 for her album, “Concerto for Orchestra,” which was ranked Best Classical Engineered Album.

In 2010, she was awarded another Grammy for composing “Percussion Concerto,” which won Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

Her third Grammy came in 2018, when she was awarded a Grammy for 'Violin Concerto,' which won Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2018.

Previously, she’d received a Pulitzer for the same composition in 2010.

Beyond her Grammy and Pulitzer, Higdon has also won:

  • Two awards from the American Academy of Arts & Letters
  • One award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) 
  • One A.I. DuPont 
  • One Distinguished Arts
  • One Guggenheim 
  • One Pew Fellowship
  • One National Endowment for the Arts

She has also been honored by the Library of Congress, which inducted “Percussion Concerto” into the National Recording Registry.

Higdon continues to be a trail-blazer in the contemporary classical music scene.

4 - Shantanu Narayen, The $257 Million CEO

Santanu Narayen giving a talk

Shantanu Narayen is one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent personalities.

He is largely known for his role as the President, CEO, and chairman of the board of Adobe Systems Inc.

Adobe Systems Inc. is a multinational billion-dollar software company that produces software for creative professionals. It is largely known for creating Photoshop, a graphic design editor.

Narayen joined Adobe Systems Inc in 1998 as the general manager and vice president of the company’s engineering team.

Prior to his selection, Narayen worked at Silicon graphics and Apple as a product developer, where he made a huge impact.

Afterwards, he co-founded a picture-sharing platform called Pictra in 1996.

He was offered a chance to join Adobe Systems Inc, after a chance encounter between Pictra and Adobe’s executives.

In 2005, Narayen became Adobe Systems Inc.’s, COO and in 2007, he was chosen to be CEO. In 2017, he was appointed to chair the company’s board.

Since his appointment in 1998, Narayen has grown Adobe Systems Inc. into a multinational giant. He has spearheaded the creation of new software suites, multibillion-dollar acquisitions, and grown the company’s workforce.

He has also amassed a lot of personal fortune, and success.

As of 2022, his net worth is estimated to be $275 million.

In 2011, President Obama appointed the executive to his Management Advisory Board, due to his insight, creativity, and management principles. 

Narayen was also ranked highly in the 2019 Forbes Innovation Leaders list.

Narayen received a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from BGSU in 1986. 

He was also honored with an honorary Doctor of Applied Science degree in 2006 and 2011 by the same university.

Own a BGSU T-shirt Today!

Bowling Green State University is the home of talent in America.

The university has nurtured many talented individuals, who have become famous and successful for various achievements.

Anthony Doerr, Adam Furnas, Jennifer Higdon, and Shantanu Narayen are a testament to this achievement.

At Jupmode, we celebrate BGSU’s long history of producing talented celebrities by designing licensed custom apparel for BGSU students.

These t-shirts, hoodies, and sweaters are made by Falcons for fellow Falcons. They are classy, and can be worn on any occasion.

“Cool selection of high-quality apparel items and collectibles that are Toledo-centric, especially retro and historic themes. Staff are super friendly and helpful.”
- Tobias C.| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So, get your team spirits up by purchasing one today.

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