In the fall of 1992, I ran for Freshman
Class President on a dare. I made a
friendly wager with a few of my new
friends that I’d get some laughs during
my candidacy speech by making fun of
my own name (“My name is Bowe Hoy
— not to be confused with Boy Ho, Bo
Howe, or Oh, Boy”). It got a few laughs
… and got me into Student Government
Association (SGA).
Sometimes the best experiences in
life are unexpected. When I enrolled
at Cedarville, I had no plans of getting
involved in SGA. It was not on my
“Cedarville bucket list,” but God— as He
often does — opened doors in surprising
ways. And along the way, He used people
and circumstances to teach me valuable
lessons about leadership and life.
As President, I hadmany opportunities
to represent SGA and the student body in
various capacities and functions. Often
these included public functions, such
as chapel service or other Cedarville-
sponsored programs, but mostly it was
less public and involved the “business”
of student government. SGA meetings,
such as Executive Council, Senate, and
committees, committees, and more
committees, filled my schedule. While I
did not realize it at the time, managing a
heavy schedule while getting important
work done (e.g., my homework), helped
prepare me for the realities of the
corporate world.
I also had opportunities to participate
in Board of Trustees meetings, planning
committees for new buildings or
personnel searches, and other groups
that requested student input. At times,
it was intimidating to be the only
student in a room full of “grown-ups.”
But the Cedarville grown-ups displayed
professionalism and grace, making the
experience valuable for me. They even
thankful for the gifts we have received,
and I am confident God will provide for
our needs in the upcoming semester. We
have additional fundraisers planned this
spring, including “Race to the Rescue”
5K and 10K events in April.
When I came to Cedarville as a
freshman, I was overwhelmed by all the
opportunities to get involved. I gradually
joined groups and activities during my
first two years, but my junior year was
when I really capitalized on leadership
opportunities. I became interested in
SGAby volunteering on the philanthropy
committee that year, which fueled
my passion for serving in this area.
SGA has given me the opportunity to
explore my leadership potential through
working as a part of a team and leading
my own team.
This experience has also helped me
clarify some of my hopes for my future.
I came to Cedarville as a social work
major intending to work one-on-one
with clients. Through my leadership
experiences and seeing the power of
giving, I want to use my education
to cause change on a larger scale.
SGA helped me find my passions and
discover a way to fuse social work and
philanthropy together to further the
Kingdom of God.
Hilary Murphy ’14
is the Philanthropy
Director for the Student Government
Association. She is a social work major
fromLiverpool, NewYork. For information
on contributing to the GROW project,
contact Hilary at
Learning About Leadership and Life
by Bowe Hoy ’96
listened to my input, even though a lot if
it probably wasn’t very good.
Grace and professionalism — along
with humility, integrity, and wisdom— is
a fitting description of the man who had
the most significant impact on me during
my Cedarville years. Don Rickard, then
Vice President of Student Services and
Dean of Students, served as SGA’s advisor.
He spent a lot of time with the students
who served in SGA, including me. Dean
Rickard was committed to meeting with
the SGA President on a regular basis, and
for two years, I was the beneficiary of those
meetings. We discussed SGA business, but
that was just part of our time together.
We also talked a lot about life. He was
genuinely interested in me as a person,
a student, and a follower of Christ. He
listened, empathized, and advised. And
when necessary, he corrected with a loving,
caring, and affirming tone. Dean Rickard
was more than just an SGA advisor to me
— he was a personal friend and mentor.
Developing a friendship with someone
like Dean Rickard; experiencing the
challenges and rewards of leadership;
understanding humility, sacrifice, and
service; growing in my walk with Jesus —
these are the unexpected, lifelong fruits
of my SGA experience. It was a surprising
door that God opened for me, and I am
grateful that I went through it.
Bowe Hoy ’96
served as Freshman Class
President in ’92–’93, SGA Executive Council
member in ’93–’94, and SGA President in
’94–’95 and ’95–’96. He is now a Regional
Director for Sword & Shield Enterprise
Security and Founder/President of CoeAH
Academy. He and his wife, Kimberly
(Bandy) ’97, have four children and live in
Vancouver, Washington. You may contact
him at
Cedarville Magazine
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