I truly believe everything happens for a reason. When you move with passion and intention, things have a way of aligning. It was my destiny to be here.
After pumping gas, Noah Downing, ’26, got back into his car and continued talking with his father on the phone. As he drove off, he heard a “thud” and didn’t think much of it.
It wasn’t until he stopped to grab a snack that he realized what the noise was: His wallet.
“I rushed back to the gas station, panicking, thinking about all of my credit cards, my ID, everything I’d have to cancel and replace. I was distraught,” Noah said.
Then his phone rang, and an unknown number flashed across the screen. He answered. On the other end was a stranger who had his wallet.
“He asked me if my name was Noah and that he found cards scattered all over Route 1,” Noah said. “But I was confused, like, how did he get my number?”
The answer shocked him, and it’s a story he will share as this year’s student speaker during the May 14 Bridgewater State University graduate commencement at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield.
Two months before that incident, Noah was working with the nonprofit New England Community Services during a week-long program held at BSU. While there, he connected with Dr. Jennifer Mead, associate professor of Health Sciences and Kinesiology.
After telling her he was looking to enroll in BSU’s Master of Business Administration program that fall, she shared the graduate assistant opportunities available and encouraged him to reach out to her.
“That good Samaritan found her card, contacted Dr. Mead, and that’s how he found me,” Noah said. “When he returned my wallet, everything was there, but most importantly, Dr. Mead’s card, which I still have to this day.”
Noah called Dr. Mead to thank her and applied for the graduate assistant opening.
“Since that interaction, Bridgewater has provided me with opportunities I could never have imagined,” he said.
Noah became a graduate assistant in Academic Coaching, where he helped students ages 18 to 65 develop learning and organizational skills. As a graduate student with one year of eligibility left, he joined the men’s basketball team, playing under his brother Michael, who is an assistant coach.
After Noah traveled to Chicago to participate in a networking opportunity at the Black Student-Athlete Summit, he was inspired to start an on-campus affinity program, The Collection.
The group focuses specifically on creating support for male student-athletes of color.
“My goal is to build a community and help ensure student athletes are graduating on time and are supported so they can find their own success,” he said.
Post-graduation, he hopes to become a full-time basketball coach, starting at the high school level, where he can continue to influence student athletes in a positive way.
“My long-term goal is to coach basketball at a Class A institution like Milton Academy. Over the next three to four years, I aim to secure a head coaching position and school administrator role where I can build a competitive program focused on shaping young men,” he said.
Before then, he looks forward to standing in front of his peers, and, more importantly, his mom Brenda, father Michael, and the rest of his family, when he delivers his speech and collects his degree.
“Without losing my wallet, I would have never built the relationships I have on this campus and found my purpose,” Noah said. “I truly believe everything happens for a reason. When you move with passion and intention, things have a way of aligning. It was my destiny to be here."
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