A walk worth waiting for

By Rebecca Kirkman on December 12, 2018

When Don Koenig graduated from Towson University in 2002, he never attended commencement. Sixteen years later, Koenig will finally be participating in the ceremony for the College of Fine Arts and Communication on December 20.

“By the time I graduated it totally fell off the radar to walk,” recalled Koenig, who majored in mass communication. “I was full stride into a career, and it just never happened.”

Known back then for driving a pea green 1964 Oldsmobile hearse around campus (it even put him on the cover of a 1999 issue of The Towerlight), Koenig landed his dream job in radio production while he was still a student. Working seven days a week, the Maryland native would get up at 3 or 4 a.m. to produce the morning show on 98 Rock (WIYY-FM), then head to campus in the afternoon to attend classes.

After nearly two decades in the broadcasting business, including working as a commercial traffic manager, hosting his own radio show, and drawing lottery numbers on WBAL-TV Channel 11, Koenig returned to TU—this time as a member of the staff. He joined the Office of Technology Services in 2015.

“It’s definitely a trip—every time I set foot on campus I have so many memories,” said Koenig.

His connection to the university and surrounding area runs deep—Koenig met his wife, Amanda, while they were both students here, and he is a descendant of the community’s founders. In fact, his mother’s maiden name was Towson.

“I literally have it in my veins,” Koenig said with a laugh.

But it wasn’t until he experienced the buildup to Commencement as a member of the TU staff that he began to rethink the moment he missed many years ago.

“You spend so much time pursuing a college career, and I was already off living my life by the time I graduated,” Koenig explains. “But I feel like I maybe shorted my folks—they didn’t get to see me walk.”

In a casual conversation with Bethany Pace, TU's Assistant Provost for Communication and Engagement, Koenig mentioned regretting never participating in a Commencement ceremony. “She told me, ‘We can fix that.’”

For Commencement, Koenig will be joined by his parents—“my mom’s very excited,” he said—and his two daughters.

“It’s one of those things that I never thought I could go back and do, so the fact that it’s coming to fruition is very surreal,” Koenig said. “Life takes strange paths, and cool things can come out of it.”

A few weeks before Commencement, after picking up his cap and gown, Koenig joked about what message he could put on his cap—“Like, ‘Finally?’”

Like any graduate anticipating the big day, Koenig said he’s experiencing a mixture of excitement and nerves.

“It’ll be nice to finally take those steps,” he said, smiling. “I hope I don’t trip.”