CELINA, OH - During an address to the graduating class of Lake Campus, Lucy Staugler reflected on her extensive journey and connection to the university. Staugler earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1979 and a master’s in mental health counseling in 1988. After a 33-year career in education, Staugler now serves as the executive director of the Grand Lake Area Literature Festival. She is the 2025 Lake Campus Outstanding Alumna Award Recipient.
She earned her bachelor’s degree after five years of dedication, described herself as a "nervous eighteen-year-old farm girl" with ambitious dreams of becoming a teacher, social worker, and journalist.
In her speech, she recounted the realities of pursuing higher education in 1974, noting the financial responsibility she undertook to fund her college aspirations by balancing a full-time job in an area factory while maintaining her studies.
Staugler also shared how her original plans to attend a different college and live in a dorm shifted after the passing of her mother. This personal event led her to choose Lake Campus as her only viable option, allowing her to remain near her younger siblings.
She expressed profound gratitude for the opportunities provided by Lake Campus, recognizing its vital role for many individuals in the surrounding rural community. Highlighting the impact of her education, she affirmed, "I walked up this path and it changed everything. It gave me the wonderful life I have today."
She inspired graduates by saying, “Take your degree and hang it up proudly where your new path takes you. It is your passport to new bridges, new connections, new communities, new friends, and a new life.”
