April 1, 2026
Proud alumni have a special name for their newborn Baby Bulldog: Ferris
When Jamela Bradley and Floyd Breham talk about Ferris State University, it’s clear the campus means more than a line on their resumes. It’s where they found community, began building their careers and fell in love.
So, when their second son arrived March 9, naming him Ferris felt like the most natural way to honor the university at the heart of their family story.
“We were both first-generation college students and Ferris State was a great experience and an important part of our lives,” said Bradley, 27. “Plus, we wanted to use a name that started with an ‘F’ since his name is Floyd and our first son is Floyd Junior.”
Walk into the nursery in their Battle Creek home and there’s no mistaking his parents love the Bulldogs. Ferris’ room is festooned with Ferris State décor: bedding, blankets, wall hangings, clothes and even a fluffy Ferris State Teddy bear.
“I love shopping and I literally bought everything I could with ‘Ferris’ on it,” said Bradley, who grew up in Battle Creek.
Floyd Sr. and Jamela felt it was only natural to name their second son Ferris to maintain the tradition of having the name of the boys in their family start with the letter "F".
Breham, born and raised in Detroit, began attending Ferris State in 2015. He met his future partner two years later at an on-campus event hosted by the Ferris State Office of Multicultural Student Services.
The department coordinates cultural programs and activities that promote the understanding and appreciation of diversity, inclusion and social justice. It also provides support to assist in the transition, retention and graduation of underrepresented student populations at Ferris.
For Bradley and Breham, the Office of Multicultural Student Services was a vital part of their college experience.
“As a first-generation college student and new to campus, it was a great place to find people to talk and network with,” said Breham, 28. “Everybody went there to hang out because it was pretty much a home away from home.”
The pair were friends for several years and started dating in 2020. Breham earned a bachelor’s degree in 2023 from Ferris State’s College of Engineering Technology. Bradley completed her bachelor’s degree in the Criminal Justice Program in 2020 and a master’s in Criminal Justice Administration in 2021.
Those were busy years for both of them.
“But we definitely enjoyed our time at Ferris, too,” she said. “We have great memories of basketball games, football games, and many different events.”
Breham said he will always appreciate the opportunity to earn a degree at Ferris State.
“They gave me a shot to attend and graduate from a great university,” he said. “I feel very fortunate.”
Breham now works at Prairie Farms Dairy as an operator and Bradley is a guidance counselor at the Michigan Job Challenge Program.
Baby Ferris is Jamela and Floyd Sr.'s second son, who was recently born in early March 2026.
Although their first son, Floyd Junior, isn’t named for their alma mater, the almost-4-year-old also has a special connection to the university: he was born in Big Rapids.
Although college is a long way off for their sons, Bradley said their boys are free to choose whatever school they want to attend.
“But it’d be kind of cool if they went to Ferris,” Breham said.