Bowling Green State University alumnus Bryan Bills, who served 12 years in the Ohio Army National Guard before earning two degrees at BGSU, has been named the 2026 Veteran of the Year for Higher Education, the university announced. Bills was first recognized as Ohio’s Veteran of the Year by Military Friendly before advancing through the national selection process to take the higher-education honor, according to BGSU.
Bills served two overseas deployments and multiple activations across the United States during his 12 years in the Guard, BGSU said. As a student he enrolled in the university’s management and technology program, which is designed for military members with technical and applied skills, earned his bachelor’s degree in 2021 and stayed at Bowling Green to complete an MBA in 2024.
He then spent two and a half years as the military program coordinator in BGSU’s Office of Nontraditional and Military Student Services, providing comprehensive advising to military students and helping them understand their benefits and make the transition to BGSU, the university said. The university credits that work with helping BGSU hold a No. 1 ranking in the Midwest for veterans and active military students from Military Times for five consecutive years.
“It was an honor even to be nominated, so my hope now is that the increased visibility will encourage others to pursue advanced degrees,” Bills told BGSU in its announcement. “Student veterans’ voices are encouraged and need to be heard. This starts with the feeling that higher education is attainable and a welcoming environment for people from all professions and walks of life.”
“Bryan is a rare individual whose commitment to serving others is genuine and unwavering,” Barbara Henry, assistant vice president of the Office of Nontraditional and Military Student Services, told BGSU. “His humility, compassion and empathy make him a natural leader and enable him to connect with and support veterans in meaningful ways. His influence created a strong foundation at BGSU that continues to benefit veterans and military-connected students today.”
BGSU said Bills also volunteers with organizations that help veterans find employment, edit resumes and apply for higher education, and that he serves veterans through advocacy, mentorship and scholarship work. He is now pursuing a doctoral degree in leadership studies at BGSU and plans to focus his thesis on student veterans and the changing obstacles they face, according to the university.
“I want to empower the next generation and cohort of military students to excel,” Bills told BGSU. What happens next for the new Veteran of the Year is more of the same work, at a bigger scale: he plans to keep advocating for fellow veterans through veteran organizations while he completes his doctorate in Bowling Green.
Photo: CramBetter.com, CC BY