Graduate Spotlight: Runor Agarin

Runor Agarin '26

When Runor Agarin began his journey at Bowie State University, he was looking for a challenging program that would help him grow as a leader. He chose Bowie State for its strong focus on entrepreneurship and is now graduating with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in management. He is currently applying to graduate programs to pursue an MBA while continuing to coach youth athletes.

"What attracted me to the management concentration was that it would give me a challenge while developing my leadership skills and giving me an entrepreneurial vision," he said.

Agarin brought that discipline and preparation to life as student CEO of Saxbys campus café, where he managed more than 20 students from a range of backgrounds, including veterans, freshmen and those with varying levels of work experience. During his tenure, he set the record for highest sales while balancing his coursework and responsibilities as a member of the football team.

"I had to learn how to balance accountability and empathy and be a leader that served others while maintaining a standard," Agarin said.

As a student, athlete and manager, Agarin developed his leadership, communication and time management skills in ways he had not previously experienced. The demands of those roles also pushed him to build stronger discipline in his daily routines.

"It exposed me to some of the patterns in my life that I needed to improve," he said. "I learned that I had to set my schedule every Sunday and make sure I hit all my marks."

Impact of the Bowie State Experience

Agarin said the business administration program strengthened his understanding of organizational behavior, emotional intelligence, data analysis and research, organizational communication, finance and budgeting - skills that are applicable across a wide range of industries.

"My Organizational Behavior class helped me develop a lot of awareness about different approaches to leadership. It also helped me figure out what mix of qualities and skills I want to apply as I develop my leadership approach," he said.

He is also applying those leadership skills through his work with youth athletics. Agarin serves as a coach and referee for Flagstar Football, a youth developmental league in the DMV area that emphasizes personal development, positive values and healthy habits.

"It reminds me that, as a leader, I have to be an example at all times," he said. "As a coach, I'm out there serving them, building them up and instilling values that they're going to carry for the rest of their lives."

After graduation, Agarin plans to continue his education by pursuing a graduate degree while exploring career opportunities across industries.

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