As a 2020 high school graduate in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic , Florida State University student Noah Schuring's graduation experience was an unconventional one, he says.
The Kalamazoo, Michigan native – who is also an avid motocross racer – did not have a traditional in-person graduation due to the global outbreak. But as a part of FSU's fall 2024 graduating class, he is over the moon about having the opportunity during the university's commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday.
"This week will be my first chance to actually walk across the stage during graduation," said 23-year-old Schuring, who is double majoring in marketing as well as risk management and insurance through FSU's College of Business . "It'll be my first time being a part of a graduation ceremony, so I'm definitely excited for that."
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FSU has its main commencement ceremonies at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday at the Tucker Civic Center, where Schuring will be one of over 2,000 undergraduates to become the university's newest class of alumni.
Schuring – who started attending FSU in fall 2020 – has been in motocross racing for over 15 years, taking after his father Jamie Schuring. As soon as he was able to ride a bicycle, his dad gave him a small dirt bike to work on the craft.
As part of Schuring's motocross training, he would often travel from Michigan to Cairo, Georgia – a city located between Thomasville and Bainbridge, Georgia – every winter to train there. It was during one of his trips in 2019 that he decided to tour FSU's main campus less than an hour away, which is when he knew the university was perfect for him.
"Once I toured FSU, it was pretty much a done deal," Schuring said. "I had it in my heart that I wanted to come here and study marketing and risk management."
Schuring says he always had an interest in the sports side of marketing, but his decision to also major in risk management and insurance is tied to his experience of working during summers at an independent insurance agency his family owns in southwest Michigan called Miller-Schuring Agency .
Despite the challenges of kicking off his collegiate journey at FSU in lockdown mode during the continued pandemic as most of his classes were online, he saw a bright side to the new reality – being able to continue racing.
"While I was going to school and also training for races, doing school virtually allowed me to have some flexibility in being able to travel around the United States and race at different events," said Schuring, who has competed in states including California, Nevada and Indiana.
During his first two years as an FSU student, he lived in Cairo to train at Georgia Practice Facility , which is a motocross training site with state-of-the-art equipment and professional instructors.
The facility also offers housing, which is where Schuring stayed before moving into an apartment in Tallahassee for his last two years at FSU due to his in-person classes.
"I look at Noah as our poster child," Georgia Practice Facility Co-Owner Ray Woods said. "When he decided to get an education while still pursuing motorcycle racing as a professional, we were more than willing to help out. Now that he's at the graduation stage, I couldn't be prouder of him."
Schuring's racing accomplishments include placing in the top 10 in 2019 at the Supercross Futures, which is an annual American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) National Championship that was held in Las Vegas, Nevada that year. He has also qualified for AMA's Amateur National Motocross Championship six times in the past seven years.
In addition, Schuring recently received his professional license for motocross, which will allow him to race professionally next year in AMA's 2025 Pro Motocross series.
Although Schuring is able to pursue his longtime passion while getting an education, he says juggling both at the same time is not an easy task.
"It's definitely difficult because I don't have a lot of time to just sit around, but they kind of complement each other," Schuring said, referring to racing and his academics.
"I make sure I'm getting my homework done and staying on top of things, and by doing that, it allows me to have time to get my training in. Motocross racing is the motivating factor that pushes me to do my schoolwork and complete it well."
Paul Schriefer, an associate lecturer at the College of Business, has had Schuring as a student in three different classes over the past two years. Both of the individuals were part of a group that traveled to Munich, Germany this fall through FSU's Department of Risk Management and Insurance Department, where students presented on cyber risk.
"In each course, Noah has impressed me with his intellectual curiosity, his keen interest in course subject matter and his high level of academic achievement," Schriefer said. "More importantly, Noah presents himself as a kind, humble and caring person."
After graduating, Schuring plans to move back to Michigan to work for his family's business for the next couple of years while also racing professionally. In the long run, he hopes to own his own insurance agency to work in risk management for professional sports leagues.
"I set a goal a long time ago to go to school while I was racing and strived to be the greatest I can be through my education and through my racing career," Schuring said. "To be graduating this weekend, I'm close to reaching one of those goals."
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_ .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU senior, motocross racer hits graduation milestone after pandemic
