OBU to Hold 105th Spring Commencement in Honor of 293 Graduates

May 17, 2019

OBU will confer degrees upon 293 students during the University’s 105th Spring Commencement Friday, May 17. The ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. in Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium on OBU’s campus in Shawnee. Stephen Allen, chair of OBU’s Board of Trustees and senior vice president, general counsel and assistant secretary for ONEOK, will deliver the commencement address.

Allen graduated magna cum laude from OBU in 1995 with a B.A. in political science. While on Bison Hill, he was Student Government Association president, sophomore class president and a member of the President’s Honor Roll throughout college. He received his J.D. at Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1998.

Graduating students will embark on a symbolic final walk across campus as OBU students before filing into Raley Chapel for the ceremony. The walk mirrors one many of the graduating students took during Welcome Week as new students at OBU. The students, in academic regalia, will proceed from the Geiger Center to the chapel, passing through rows of OBU faculty members before they reach the chapel’s east steps.

OBU Interim President Dr. Pat Taylor will preside over the ceremonies and deliver the charge to graduates.

Junior class marshals will escort the graduating class to their seats in Raley Chapel. The top-ranking junior men and women, based on overall grade point average, serve as marshals. The group includes Alexis Besch, Cherie Brewer, Gage Bullard, Madalyn Cook, Aubrey Cotham, Dannie Deason, Julianne Ford, Caleb Gray, Matthew Hampton, Audrey Harlow, Jaden Jennings, Kendra Johnson, Jessica King, Joshua Knox, Tyler Koonce, Emma Lang, Carly Miller, Christin Muller, Alexandra O’Steen, Ivy Penwell, Kylie Pope, Hannah Shumaker, Jonathan Soder, Chloe Stokes, Ariel Thomas and Jonathan Wood.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from OBU’s Paul Dickinson College of Business, with academic majors and hometowns, include Jesus Andrade, finance, Oklahoma City; Shane Black, social entrepreneurship, Skiatook, Oklahoma; Alexandra Bowers, professional accountancy, Edmond, Oklahoma; John Calhoun, management, McKinney, Texas; Brady Clinton, marketing, Waukomis, Oklahoma; Brian Cornell, management, Allen, Texas; Julian Daughtry, interdisciplinary in business administration, sports management and sociology, Millington, Tennessee; Kristin Duffield, marketing, McKinney; Alyssa Fluke, international business and French minor, Shawnee, Oklahoma; Trevor Guleserian, management, McKinney; Rhett Hall, management, Oklahoma City; Allie Qi He, finance, Idabel, Oklahoma; Trevin Hicks, finance, Edmond; Hudson Hoover, finance, Sapulpa, Oklahoma; Joshua Hopkins, finance, Shawnee; Michael Latka, management, West Richland, Washington; Jason Lee, computer information systems, Plano, Texas; Tyler Lester, professional accountancy, Tuttle, Oklahoma; Ashley Maxwell, management and social entrepreneurship, Newcastle, Oklahoma; Taylor Medaris, management, Oklahoma City; Albert Merkel, marketing, Rowlett, Texas; Christopher Nash, management and social entrepreneurship, Shawnee; Caleb Norris, management, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Nickolas Parker, finance, Farmersville, Texas; Martin Romero, finance, Oklahoma City; Reagan Rowell, management, Keller,     Texas; Mattison Runion, finance, Oklahoma City; Yamilex Sanchez Puga, marketing, Irving, Texas; Robert Sawler, management, Keller; Isabella Scarinzi, marketing, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil; Grant Sedgwick, social entrepreneurship, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Kadrian Shelton, marketing, Fort Gibson, Oklahoma; Jordan Shipman, international business, Shawnee; Samuel Smith, marketing, Norman, Oklahoma; Jonathan Stewart, management, Enid, Oklahoma; Quinton Thorp, management, Edmond; Matthew Tigert, finance, Wichita Falls, Texas; Jacob Tunney, finance, Edmond; Daniel Turner, professional accountancy, Claremore, Oklahoma; Libby Unruh, finance, Elk City, Oklahoma; Aaron Urton, management, Oklahoma City; Kincaid West, marketing, Sand Springs, Oklahoma; Payton Wilson, marketing, Thomas, Oklahoma; Logan Yarbrough, finance, Skiatook; and Huazhen Yu, professional accountancy, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

From the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts, candidates for bachelor’s degrees include Jude Balthazar, vocal performance, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Hailey Black, art with education minor, Shawnee;  Alena Blakley, communication studies and Spanish minor, Lenexa, Kansas; London Bradshaw, communication studies with marketing minor, Choctaw, Oklahoma; Ben Cale, communication studies, Shawnee; Dakota Carrington, digital media arts, Moore, Oklahoma; Chase Chastain, communication studies, McKinney; Sarah Claibourn, communication studies with music minor, Garland, Texas; Payton Clark, communication studies with cross-cultural ministry minor, Onalaska, Texas; Reagan Clark, vocal music education, K-12, Coldspring, Texas; Caleb Cole, graphic design, Choctaw; Ashton Cossey, graphic design with marketing minor, Edmond; Jonathan Dean, instrumental music education, K-12, Meeker, Oklahoma; Cameron Edwards, communication studies, Paris, Texas; Zachary Fisher, instrumental music education, K-12, Shawnee; Rachel Foote, piano performance, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Matthew Giudice, graphic design, Edmond; Jake Gozzo, communication studies, Redlands, California; Taylor Hanska, communication studies with graphic design minor, Oklahoma City; Bradley Hetherington, piano performance with emphasis in pedagogy, Sulphur, Oklahoma; Mya Hudgins, news and information, Greenville, Texas; Shelby James, communication studies, Oklahoma City; Jacob Jolly, digital media arts, Allen; Olivia Jones, vocal music education, K-12, Arlington, Texas; Brianna Lincoln, interdisciplinary: communication studies, theatre, and cross-cultural ministry; Sand Springs, Oklahoma; Sydney Mathews, voice performance, Forgan, Oklahoma; Logan Miller, communication studies, McKinney; Preston Morris, communication studies, Oklahoma City; Mikaleh Offerman, news and information with English minor, Edmond; Joshua Pumphrey, communication studies with Bible minor, Broken Arrow; Tyler Quintana, digital media arts, Oklahoma City; McKenzie Reece, theatre with music minor, Broken Arrow; Isaac Reel, music composition, Milburn, Oklahoma; Konnor Robertson, instrumental music education, K-12, Okemah, Oklahoma; Taylor Shofstall, communication studies with worship arts minor, Shawnee; Sean Taylor, digital media arts, Tennille, Georgia; Anna Tyler, theatre with music minor, Fort Worth, Texas; Emmalee Webb, worship arts with marketing minor, McKinney; Chelsea Weeks, news and information with marketing minor, Broken Arrow; Julie Welch, voice performance, Bartlesville; Rachel Witt, graphic design, Duncan, Oklahoma; and Emily Wright, vocal music education, K-12, Bixby, Oklahoma.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from OBU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences include Emmanuel Adesokan, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Tulsa; Anna Arrington, psychology pre-counseling with music minor, Allen; Miriam Avila, exercise physiology and wellness, Hermosillo, Mexico; Autumn Avina, interdisciplinary: kinesiology and leisure science, sports management, and communication studies; Round Rock, Texas; Abdoulaye Bah, sports and recreation management, Colombes, France; Jonathan Baird, social science education, secondary, Salcha, Alaska; Lorin Barnhouse Barnett, psychology pre-counseling with family and community service minor, Bartlesville; Imari Bell, interdisciplinary: health and human performance and sports management, Dallas, Texas; Ashley Berkey, family and community service: community service track with criminal justice minor, Watertown, South Dakota; Mckenzie Bohannon, health and human performance, clinical track, Cheyenne, Oklahoma; Madison Bowles, sports and recreation management, Duncan, Oklahoma; Sarah Bowman, health and physical education, K-12, Waxahachie, Texas; America Brannen, psychology pre-counseling with business administration minor, Register, Georgia; Hailee Burnett, camp administration, Richardson, Texas; Cassidy Camp, family and community service: family life track with art minor, Shawnee; Brock Carter, sports and recreation management, Sentinel, Oklahoma; Jessica Chadwick, creative writing with news and information minor, Two Buttes, Colorado; Morgan Cherry, family and community service: family life track, Oklahoma City; Katherine Cole, elementary education and early childhood education, Edmond; Jessica Conrad, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Broken Arrow; Jessica Coulson, elementary education, Shawnee; Dylan Crawley, sports ministry, Shawnee; Caitlyn Crosby, family and community service: family life track, Oklahoma City; Kaylee Crowson, elementary education, Rush Springs, Oklahoma; Hannah Danielson, interdisciplinary: health and human performance and natural science, Edmond; Lauren Dean, English with minors in professional writing and editing as well as teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), Framingham, Massachusetts; Ajae Dewitt-Davis, sports ministry, Oklahoma City; Benjamin Dingus   , psychology pre-counseling with anthropology minor, Taichung, China (Taiwan); Kristin Dodd, multilingual communications with a Bible and TESOL minor, Lawton, Oklahoma; Mykaela Donato, family and community service: family life track with cross-cultural ministry minor, Shawnee; Olivia Dudley, elementary education and special education, Tulsa; Kerregan Edwards, early childhood education, McKinney; Saleem Fadel, sports and recreation management, Shawnee; Kori Ferguson, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Ponca City, Oklahoma; Bryanna Flanagan, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Shawnee; Nicole Fleitman, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Lindsay, Texas; Nathan Floyd, political science with minor in communication studies, Gilbert, Arizona; Jonathan Frank, history with minor in political science, Wichita Falls; Jessica George, elementary, early childhood, and special education, Yukon; Joseph Geraci, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Oklahoma City; Reece Gilbert, interdisciplinary: kinesiology and leisure science, and sports management, Oklahoma City; Tyra Givings, interdisciplinary: Spanish, business administration, and art, Bristow, Oklahoma; Jennifer Goethe, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Shawnee; Michaela Hagler, psychology pre-counseling with art minor, Shawnee; Hannah Handy, psychology pre-counseling with Spanish minor, Shawnee; Katherine Hansen, political science with anthropology minor, Tulsa; Geneva Harper, family and community service: family life track, Dallas; Palance Harris, interdisciplinary: business administration and sports management, Frisco, Texas; Chloe Harrison, English with minor in professional writing and editing, Duncan, Oklahoma; Ashley Hontz, secondary English education, Linn Creek, Missouri; Hannah Hooks, family and community service: family life track, McKinney, Texas; Sydney Howard, criminal justice with psychology minor, Arlington, Texas; Emmily Infante, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Mexico City, Mexico; Madeline Johnson, psychology pre-counseling with minor in family and community service, Seminole, Oklahoma; Allison Jordan, early childhood education, Tulsa; Hannah Jordan, early childhood education, Ponca City; Emily Jost, health and human performance: clinical track, Hillsboro, Kansas; Jackson Kashwer, secondary social science education, Chandler, Oklahoma; Megan Kirkendall, multilingual communications with minor in TESOL, Woodward, Oklahoma; Mariah Knight, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Sand Springs, Oklahoma; Kaylie Lane, health and human performance: clinical track, Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Spencer Lashley, pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Gunter, Texas; Rachel Lee, elementary education, Oklahoma City; Lauren LeForce, sports and recreation management, Moore, Oklahoma; Robert Lowry, exercise physiology and wellness, Shawnee; Savannah Madrid-Andrews, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Denver, Colorado; Ashton Malone, health and human performance, clinical track, Pilot Point, Texas; Kyla Martin, family and community service: community service track, Inola, Oklahoma; Ellen Mathews, secondary social science education, Shawnee; and Garrett McKee, sports and recreation management, Hemet, California.

Additional candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences include Kara McLain, health and physical education, K-12, Shawnee; Abigail McSheffrey, special education and elementary education, Olympia, Washington; Robert Mellinger, secondary social science education, Shawnee; Alyssa Mendoza, early childhood education and elementary education, Bixby; Kelton Mims, sports and recreation management, Lawton; Jasmine-Rose Mitchell, early childhood education, Spring, Texas; McKae Mitchell, psychology with anthropology minor, Edmond; Tiffany Molina, interdisciplinary: health and human performance and natural science, Guymon, Oklahoma; Leah Molter, special education and elementary education, La Mesa, California; Jade Morris, health and human performance: clinical track, Oklahoma City; Kedrick Nettleton, creative writing with communication studies minor, Shawnee; Miranda Nolen, interdisciplinary: family and community service, psychology, and Bible, Madill, Oklahoma; Veronica Parra, elementary education, Mesquite, Texas; Savannah Payne, health and human performance, clinical track, Midlothian, Texas; Brianna Petroff, secondary English education, Elgin, Oklahoma; Melody Pierce, English with advocacy minor, Oklahoma City; Shaylin Regier, psychology pre-counseling with criminal justice minor, Enid; Cagney Roberson, health and human performance, non-clinical track, with natural science minor, Coweta, Oklahoma; Anastasia Robison, political science with history minor, Oklahoma City; Matthew Sanders, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Owasso; Gretchen Seamans, elementary education and early childhood education, Grove, Oklahoma; Emily Sechrist, special education and elementary education, Hillsboro, Kansas; Raigan Servati, health and human performance, clinical track, Van Alstyne, Texas; Emily Shaw, interdisciplinary: English, history and political science, Sapulpa, Oklahoma; Mallory Sinor, special education and elementary education, Colbert, Oklahoma; Ayanna Smith, exercise and sports science: personal training/ strength and conditioning, Round Rock; Carolyn Sosinski, sports ministry, Carrollton, Texas; Kira Spoo, family and community service: family life track with children’s ministry minor, Tulsa; Megan Staats, family and community service: family life track with art minor, Oklahoma City; Shannen Stewart, psychology with criminal justice minor, Broken Arrow; Jessica Stiles, secondary English education, Grandview, Missouri; Trevor Tanner, political science with minor in health and human performance, Greenville, Texas; Savannah Tompkins, psychology with advocacy minor, Fruita, Colorado; Andrew Tonnell, sociology with French minor, Enid; Stephanie Tucker, family and community service: family life track with advocacy minor, McKinney; Genesis Veliz, health and human performance, non-clinical track, Valencia, Venezuela; Ashton Vickers, history with criminal justice minor, Sallisaw, Oklahoma; Marta Villa, multilingual communications with minors in education and worship arts, Oklahoma City; Rebecca Ward, family and community service: family life track with religion minor, Bossier City, Louisiana; Tristan Ward, multilingual communications with TESOL minor, Edmond; Whitney Wedgeworth, health and human performance: non-clinical track, McKinney, Texas; Jakoby White, health and physical education, K-12, Desoto, Texas; Victoria Widener, secondary social science education, Shawnee; Makena Williams, family and community service: community service track with photography minor, Denton, Texas; Allison Wilmoth, elementary education, Plano, Texas; Samantha Wolf, English with criminal justice minor, Idabel, Oklahoma; Grace Woolf, psychology pre-counseling with education minor, Monument, Colorado; Creede Wright, sports and recreation management, Ratliff City, Oklahoma; and Stephanie Zackery, psychology pre-counseling with advocacy minor, Okemah.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from OBU’s College of Nursing include Alex Akers, Houston, Texas; Chinonso Alinnor, Shawnee; Sydney Bowman, Fort Worth; Blythe Bullard, Edmond; Madeline Cravens, Oklahoma City; Sarah Evans, Juneau, Alaska; Destiny Everett, Durant, Oklahoma; Jaimie Hartley, Yukon, Oklahoma; Abigail Hicks, Tulsa; Adriana Holder, Meeker, Oklahoma; Kristin Holle, Ponca City; Hannah Hopkins, Shawnee; Esther Kim, with art minor, Torrance, California; Moriah Lamb, Blanchard, Oklahoma; Kali Lowery, Shawnee; Garrett Luster, Tecumseh, Oklahoma; Ashley Morris, Oklahoma City; Laura Nettleton, Bartlesville; Anna Oliveira, Shawnee; Baylee Owen, Moore, Oklahoma; Lauren Preston, McKinney; Alexa Richards, Caddo, Oklahoma; Sarah Robbins, Prague, Oklahoma; Tanner Robertson, Yukon; Hannah Rodriguez, Mulvane, Kansas; Ashlynn Salyer, Oklahoma City; Juliana Sinclair, Hillsboro, Kansas; Macy Tener, Oklahoma City; Bethany VanGoethem, Dallas; Kimberly Walker, Shawnee; Blaine Whitson, Enid; and Samantha Willoughby, Shawnee.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the James E. Hurley College of Science and Mathematics include Jonathan Ball, biology, Anadarko, Oklahoma; Nathaniel Bechtold, physics with mathematics minor, Westminster, Colorado; Rachel Birchfield, natural science, Antlers, Oklahoma; Paul Biswas, physics with minors in mathematics and natural science, Concord, California; Brianna Burnett, Natural Science, Yukon; Analise Claassen, Biochemistry, Scotts Valley, California; Dalton Flanders, secondary science education, Okemah; Allison Foster, biology, Bonham, Texas; Madison Granger, biochemistry, Newcastle; Kelsi Guleserian, mathematics with a theatre minor, McKinney; Haylee Hall, secondary mathematics education, Bella Vista, Arkansas; Casey House, biochemistry, McAlester, Oklahoma; Evan Lashar, biology, Edmond; Steven Long, physics, Bartlesville; Heath McClure, natural science with Bible minor, Mesquite; Matthew Morrison, natural science, Edmond; Benjamin Penazek, physics with mathematics minor, Tucson, Arizona; Matthew Poulin, mathematics with anthropology minor, Shingle Springs, California; Joshua Taylor, biochemistry, Frisco; Kayla Thompson, natural science with Bible minor, Tulsa; Kennedy Turner, mathematics with minors in Bible and education, Edmond; Ryan Walker, natural science, Amarillo, Texas; Abigail Wendt, biochemistry, Haworth, Oklahoma; and Alec Young, biochemistry, Shawnee.     

From the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry, candidates for bachelor’s degrees include Christopher Berry, cross-cultural ministry with apologetics minor, Seminole; Garrett Black, Christian ministry: children’s ministry with sports management minor, Shawnee; Victoria Boston, cross-cultural ministry with communication studies minor, Oklahoma City; Cole Chlouber, religion: Bible with student ministry minor, Shawnee; Bethany Cole, philosophy with religion minor, Choctaw; Lindsey Compton, religion: Bible with family and community service minor, Shawnee; Nathan Crowson, religion: Bible with student ministry minor, Marlow, Oklahoma; John Ellis, philosophy with minors in marketing and natural science, Wagoner, Oklahoma; Karl Evans, religion: Bible with chemistry minor, Chandler; Haley Furr, Christian ministry: educational ministry with psychology minor, Sulphur; Graham Griffin, religion: Bible with music minor, Shawnee; Lane Griffin, philosophy: apologetics and Christian ministry: student ministry, Seminole; Jordan Hutchings, religion: Bible with student ministry minor, Durant; Ryan Johnson, worship ministry with music minor, Blanchard; Noah Jones, philosophy with mathematics minor, Edmond; Jonathan Knox, religion: biblical languages with philosophy minor, McKinney; Luke Leatherman, Christian ministry: pastoral ministry with Bible minor, Muskogee, Oklahoma; Sarah Lee, cross-cultural ministry with French minor, Wellington, Kansas; James Little, Christian studies, Midwest City, Oklahoma; Jonah Melton, religion: Bible with Christian ministry minor, Ponca City; Mackenzie Miles, Christian ministry: student ministry with psychology minor, Argyle, Texas; Kathryn Overton, Christian ministry and psychology pre-counseling, Yukon; Jennifer Pensamiento-Hilton, philosophy with communication studies minor, Irving, Texas; Christopher Petroff, religion: Bible with apologetics minor, Elgin; Jarrett Richardson, cross-cultural ministry with minor in family and community service, Olathe, Kansas; Jordan Richardson, Christian ministry: worship ministry with music minor, Olathe; Takoda Ruble, Christian ministry: student ministry with business administration minor, Dewey, Oklahoma; Matthew Shively, religion: biblical languages with anthropology minor, Edmond; Chandler Warren, religion: Bible and philosophy, Poteau, Oklahoma; and Andrew Worley, religion: Bible with student ministry minor, Blackwell, Oklahoma.