OBU to Honor 124 Graduates During Winter Commencement Nov. 21

November 20, 2020

OBU will confer degrees upon 80 undergraduate students and 44 graduate students during the Winter Commencement ceremonies Saturday, Nov. 21. The ceremonies will be divided into three separate events to facilitate physical distancing. All three ceremonies will be livestreamed. Visit okbu.edu to view the ceremonies live or watch on the Oklahoma Baptist University YouTube channel.

The first ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. in Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium and will feature graduates from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The second ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in Potter Auditorium and will feature graduates from the Hurley College of Science and Mathematics, the Dickinson College of Business, the Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry and the Angell College of Fine Arts. The third ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. in Potter Auditorium and will feature graduates from OBU’s Graduate College.

The students will perform their ceremonial final walk across campus as OBU students before filing together into Raley Chapel. The students, in academic regalia, will proceed from the east to the chapel, passing through rows of OBU faculty and staff members before reaching the chapel’s east steps.

OBU President Dr. Heath A. Thomas will preside over the ceremonies and deliver the charge to graduates. Dr. Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, will deliver the commencement address to undergraduate students during both the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. ceremonies. Dr. Nathan Mellor, CEO, author, and executive coach, will deliver the 2 p.m. commencement address to students in the Graduate College.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from OBU’s Paul Dickinson College of Business, with academic majors, include Phillip Agepogu, interdisciplinary in business administration, worship studies, and Bible, Shawnee, Oklahoma; Christin Bennett, marketing, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Alexandria Blevins, management, Shawnee; Lane Cannon, professional accountancy, Shawnee; Robert Carver, management, Purcell, Oklahoma; Carlos Felgueroso Alvarez, international business, Rocky Mount, North Carolina; Julianna Horner, social entrepreneurship, Norman; Chase Kerr, marketing, Glendora, California; Bryan Lamey, professional accountancy, Shawnee; Jocelyn Martinez, management and marketing, Roma, Texas; Morgan Lynn McAlister, marketing, Beggs, Oklahoma; Moriah Nolan, management, Roswell, New Mexico; Spencer Price, marketing, Shawnee; Darin Rigney, finance, San Diego, California; Tyler Vandivort, management, McLoud, Oklahoma; and Nan Wang, international business, Jiangsu, China.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts include Abby Black, communication studies, Ardmore, Oklahoma; Aaron Chesser, graphic design and Bible and theology, McLoud; Lauren Haynes, communication studies, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Kalyne Henrichsen, musical arts (voice), Hastings, Minnesota; Carly Miller, communication studies, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Loren Rhoades, journalism and mass communication (journalism emphasis), Harrah, Oklahoma; Gabrielle Sheehy, graphic design, Joplin, Missouri;  Hadley Smith, art, Cheyenne, Oklahoma; Jacob Usry, journalism mass communication (journalism emphasis), Norman, Oklahoma; and Anthony Williams, journalism and mass communication (journalism emphasis), Lawton, Oklahoma.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from OBU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences include Kaydee Banks, health and physical education (K-12), Bristow, Oklahoma; Zachary Blevins, sports and recreation management, Shawnee; Caleb Bly, health and human performance: clinical, Cedar Hill, Texas; Austin Brasel, Anthropology, Harrison, Arkansas; Kira Bridges, early childhood education, Oklahoma City; Davey Cleveland, interdisciplinary: health and human performance and education, Prague, Oklahoma; Cheasa Coon, sports ministry, Konawa, Oklahoma; Mickayla Corvi, health and human performance: non-clinical; Cameron Denno, psychology pre-counseling, Hesston, Kansas; Courtlan Denton, health and human performance: non-clinical, Oklahoma City; Hollie Dixon, English, Grandview, Missouri; Maria Ellebracht, elementary education, Lawrence, Kansas; Raley Farquhar, health and human performance: non-clinical, Broken Arrow; Ryan Fisher, sports and recreation management, Oklahoma City; Jamie Fullingim, early childhood education, Oklahoma City; Joseph Graham, sports and recreation management, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Mickey Hall, criminal justice, Shawnee; Cole Harris, psychology, Tecumseh, Oklahoma; Erin Heard, camp administration, Anna, Texas; Bailey Jennings, family and community service: family life track, Tecumseh; Alexandra Jones, psychology pre-counseling, Shawnee; Jaclynne Lambert, English, Bethany, Oklahoma; Alyssa Landes, family and community service: family life track, Shawnee; Rylie Lashley, health and human performance: non-clinical, Gunter, Texas; Alexander Leff, interdisciplinary: criminal justice and sports management, Prior Lake, Minnesota; Jocelynn Lopez, criminal justice, Madill, Oklahoma; Jeremy McDonald, sports ministry, Harrah, Oklahoma; Bethany McLemore, anthropology, Ponca City, Oklahoma; Stevie Moore, psychology pre-counseling, Shawnee; Dylan Morrison, psychology pre-counseling, Oklahoma City; Madalyn Peck, multilingual communications, Midwest City, Oklahoma; Mark Pontier, sports and recreation management, San Jose, California; Leah Powell, family and communication service: community service, Altus, Oklahoma; Chandler Roberts, criminal justice, Coweta, Oklahoma; DeAngelo Robles, personal training/strength and conditioning, Oklahoma City; Landon Rowlett, criminal justice, Keller, Texas; Anna Simpson, interdisciplinary: education, psychology and Christian ministry, Enid, Oklahoma; Kurt Smith, elementary education, Shawnee; Kyle Townsend, pre-allied health and rehabilitation science, Newalla, Oklahoma, and Aleigh Vickers, early childhood education, Yukon, Oklahoma.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the James E. Hurley College of Science and Mathematics include Daniel Brown, natural science, Altus; Kyle Hoenshell, physics, Edmond, Oklahoma; Ashley Huebert, natural science, Oklahoma City; Seth Huebert, secondary science education, Shawnee; Natalie Kieffer, natural science; Jiangping Kong, mathematics, Raymore, Missouri; and Victoria Schooler, biology, McLoud.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry include JoAnn Bowler, Christian studies; David Bryant, Christian ministry, Velma, Oklahoma; Erich Brady Cox, religion: Bible, Graham, Texas; Abigail Mann, religion: Bible, Oklahoma City; Casey Meyer, global marketplace engagement: education, Sapulpa, Oklahoma; Sarah O’Bryan, biblical studies: practical theology, Saint Paul, Kansas; and Jordan Sheehy, Christian ministry: student emphasis, Nevada, Missouri.

Candidates for the Master of Arts in Christian studies include Paul Brunson, Erin Frye, Tara Homsey and Andrea Schneider.

Candidates for the Master of Arts in intercultural studies include Jonathan Chambers, Marcel France, Rashad Lewis, Britton VanBuskirk and Charity Wallace.

Candidates for the Master of Business Administration include Melissa Bartmess, Kevin Cantrell, Rubin Cooper, Omar Estrada, Anna Johnson, Jessica King, Janae Levier, Shane Lewis, Nancy Lopez, Sarah Lopez, Jesse Loyd, Brooklyn Motley, Caleb Norris, Brandon O’Kelly, Joshua Pettijohn, Jason Proctor, Luis Sanz and Robert Sawler.

Candidates for the Master of Science in marriage and family therapy include Chase Cheatwood, Elizabeth Dutcher, Hannah Haines, Emily Hamilton, Rebecca Klutts, Blake Kritz, Rhonda Mitchell, Jordyn Patterson, Sydney Reeves, Sidney Stover, Rachael Weaver, Bruce Wilbanks, Kaylee Wilburn and Ashley Young.

Candidates for the Master of Science in Nursing include Gretchen Brown, Hannah Pfister and Candis Watson.

Junior Marshals for the Winter 2020 Commencement ceremonies include Mataeo Anderson, Daniel Campbell, Victoria Damon, Sarah Dean, Jacqueline Denny, Emma Downing, Hannah Ellis, Rylie Helm, Kathleen Hill, Lauren Jones, William Kohman, Justin Koonce, Emily Lawrence, Elizabeth Lette, Avery Miller, Brooke Newby, William Newman, Katelyn Onkst, Josie Patterson, Kathryn Payne, Emma Sampson and Madison Stone.