For commencement speaker JP Ampfer, his experience at Northern Kentucky University was all about growth.

Born and raised in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Ampfer considered himself a quiet kid. He played on his high school’s soccer team, but says one of his biggest regrets was not getting more involved. That’s why, when he came to NKU to pursue business management and human resources, he made it a goal to put himself out there.

“NKU has been a blessing, because I was able to really harness my energy and my passions, and put drive toward the organizations I wanted to be involved in, so I could make an impact and a difference on campus,” he says.

Ampfer made sure to be as involved in campus life as possible during each of his four years at NKU. He joined Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity before becoming a Presidential Ambassador, Student Orientation Leader and Residential Advisor. By his senior year, Ampfer was admitted to the Beta Gamma Sigma business honors fraternity and became a Haile College Ambassador. But it wasn’t just the student life opportunities that kept him involved at NKU, Ampfer says he was drawn to campus for its community.

“What kept me here was the sense of community, the exceptional staff and faculty, the students, all the work and organizations that taught me life lessons, skills and habits that I would not have been able to build otherwise,” he says.

Ampfer’s favorite memory of the community he found on campus was during his junior year when his fraternity nominated him for homecoming court, and he won.

“That memory of having my name called was truly something I never thought I was capable of achieving,” he says. “I never thought I was capable of having an impact on that many people. It’s hard to believe it happened some days.”

Aside from the overall campus community, Ampfer says the best thing about NKU is the faculty and staff because they are committed to setting students up for success. He credits his professors in the Haile College of Business for helping him discover his passion for human resources. A faculty member who stood out in Ampfer’s degree program was business management professor Merle Heckman.

“He was transformative in how I viewed my own personal challenges in a professional setting and how to navigate being highly effective when working with people,” he says. “Professor Heckman’s class opened the floor for any and all discussions and questions. His classes were really transformative and I don’t know where I would be without them.”

Although Ampfer strived to get the most out of his undergraduate experience, he says the biggest challenge he faced was balancing his involvement as a residential advisor, his internships and coursework. But, he says, if you really want to maximize your experience at NKU, you have to take the first step and push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

“You can go to classes and go home, you’ll still get your degree, but then you’ll miss the opportunity to take advantage of everything NKU has to offer,” says Ampfer. “You won’t grow unless you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and I feel that myself and many other people that I’ve worked with here are true testaments of that reality.”

Ampfer’s message to his fellow graduates is to take advantage of opportunities the world has to offer, because new experiences don’t end after college.

“If you feel you haven’t had the full college experience, take advantage of the resources from the world around us,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to try new things or take on new challenges that can still give you that experience.”

After walking across the graduation stage, Ampfer is looking forward to working full time as a human resource professional for Sugar Creek Packing Company in Blue Ash, Ohio, and begin training for a new experience: triathlons.