Many students are drawn to for our along with our . As we say goodbye to our graduates, we want to highlight four student-athletes who embody the spirit.
Henry Bonette / Bachelor Degree, Business Leadership
Henry Bonette came from , to pitch for the while earning a . He enjoyed Cleary so much, he returning to pursue a this fall.
Bonette graduated from and attended community college for two years before he was recruited to Cleary men baseball team. Bonette began playing baseball at age 5 and started pitching at 7.
淚t been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember,� he says.
The prospect of being able to play his favorite position while earning a versatile business degree prompted Bonette to commit to Cleary. Another huge selling point was the affordable tuition.
淐leary was infinitely more affordable than anywhere in California,� he says.
In stark contrast to the California desert, Michigan four-seasons climate was part of what Bonette enjoyed about his Cleary experience. He loved the 渨oodsy� feel of the area. He also liked the flexibility of online and in-person classes and the camaraderie of the baseball team.
淚 love playing here. We have a better relationship between the coaches and players than I檝e ever had before,� he says, adding that the coaches foster an atmosphere of support he hasn檛 seen on his teams in the past.
During his studies, Bonette worked at Domino and served as an assistant pitching coach for the . In the fall, he will begin coursework in pursuit of an .
Hannah Benner / Business Management, Health Care Management
If earning two bachelor degrees wasn檛 enough, Hannah Benner layered working, coaching, and playing softball into her dynamic schedule while at Cleary.
Benner grew up in Clio, Mich., and played sports all her life, trying her hand at volleyball, basketball, and softball. At , she received several awards for academics and sports, including first-team All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region for softball, as well as the .
Upon graduation, she was recruited by Cleary . 淐ollege is very expensive so if I could play the game I love while getting an education and helping to pay for it with an athletic scholarship, that a dream,� she said.
Benner was drawn to Cleary because of its focus on business education, and its small campus just an hour from her hometown. 淚 did not go to a huge high school so going to a smaller college was what I needed,� she says.
As a , Benner stayed busy, traveling to softball games throughout the region playing right field. Her freshman year, the Cougars won the USCAA National Championship title. Benner also received All-Academic Team honors every year as well as All-Defensive Team twice.
In addition to school and softball, Benner worked as a medical assistant as well as at the residence halls for one semester. She also volunteered for the softball team.
This month, Benner earned dual Bachelor degrees in and . She will start nursing school in the fall at , and coach a travel softball team for her younger sister.
淚t been a lot of fun being an athlete here and getting to know so many other great athletes,� she says. 淚 love Cleary because I was able to meet my absolute best friends here.�
Benner says she was honored to have the opportunity to be a collegiate athlete. 淪ports have made me a better person,� she adds.
Brandon Erla
Brandon Erla started playing baseball when he was five years old. While attending in Bad Axe, Mich., he served as captain of the baseball team for three years and achieved All-Conference and All-District honors. He says the first big goal he set for himself was to play sports in college, so when he received a baseball scholarship to Cleary, he jumped at the chance.
淢y parents sacrificed a lot for me to play travel ball and attend camps growing up, so being able to help pay for college was really important to me, to try and pay them back for all they did,� Erla said.
During his first college inning freshman year, Erla playing against a junior college in Indiana and struck out , who went on to play for , where he won Big 10 player of the year and was drafted by the in the third round.
Erla says he will always look back on Cleary tight-knit community.
淲hat I檒l remember most about my time here is the relationships I檝e built,� Erla says. 淚 also love how committed the school is to continuing to grow and improve.�
In addition to playing baseball and earning a t, Erla worked as a volunteer intern for , helping to run events across the state, find volunteers, and train officials. After graduation, he joined in Novi as a real estate agent.
Benjamin Delage
Hailing from Lons-Le-Saunier, France, Benjamin Delage is a member of 天美麻豆 growing body. As a student at a private Catholic high school, he was looking for a high-quality business education while being able to play soccer.
Working with an agency that specializes in finding athletic scholarships at American universities for French students, Delage found 天美麻豆. He played center back/midfielder on the and earned a 3.96 overall grade point average, landing him a spot on the Dean List, along with the National All-Academic and 2nd Team All-American awards. He also was part of the and All-Academic teams.
Aside from soccer, Delage says his favorite part of Cleary was the faculty, adding that the university small size allowed him to develop meaningful relationships with his instructors.
淚t is easy to connect with the professors and benefit from their insights and personal experience,� he says.
He also loved meeting students from all over the world. 淢eeting people from different backgrounds and cultures has been such a valuable experience for me to evolve and grow as a person,� he says
After graduation, Delage returned to France to pursue a Master Degree in Global Sports Business from in Paris. 淚 will be focusing on the international sports industry where I believe my experience as an international student at Cleary will help me to succeed,� he says.
