Winter Commencement to Honor 92 Graduates

Fifty-seven undergraduate students and 35 graduate students will have degrees conferred upon them during OBU's Winter Commencement on Friday, Dec. 14. Willa Ruth Garlow will deliver the Commencement Address.

Friday's Commencement will be the first ceremony to combine graduations for undergraduate students from OBU's Shawnee campus and students from the OBU Graduate School in Oklahoma City.

The graduating students, in academic regalia, will take their symbolic final walk into Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium for the 2 p.m. ceremonies. Dr. David W. Whitlock, OBU president, will preside over the ceremonies.

Garlow is a motivational speaker, childhood specialist and author. In addition to numerous books, she has written curriculum materials and articles for LifeWay publications and various other magazines and periodicals. She has spoken in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and 34 states in the United States.

A 1950 OBU graduate, Garlow also attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1980, she was presented OBU's Alumni Achievement Award. Her husband, Dr. J. Lyle Garlow, is retired associate executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. The Garlows live in Oklahoma City and are active members of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Dr. Anthony Jordan, executive director/treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, will bring greetings on behalf of the BGCO. The graduating class will be presented by Neal Ellis, president of the OBU Student Government Association and a senior from Midlothian, Texas, and Brad Yocum, a member of the OBU Graduate School graduating class.

The program also includes special music presented by Sarah Stephens, a member of the Class of 2013 from Tulsa, Okla. The graduates will be inducted into the OBU Alumni Association by Lori Hagans, executive director of the OBU Alumni Association.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from OBU's Paul Dickinson College of Business, with academic majors and hometowns, include Paola Carvalho Costa, international business, Brasilia, Brazil; Jory Daniel Custar, marketing, Tecumseh, Okla.; Lauren Nicole Humelsine, management, Irving, Texas; Wilson Junior Leal, computer science: data management, Shizuoka-shi Shimizu, Japan; Matthew Paul McAllister, marketing, Allen, Texas; Yalli P. Oliveira, computer science: data management, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; Samantha Denise Olson, interdisciplinary: finance/business administration/mathematics, Edmond, Okla.; Rachel Lynn Schneider, management/marketing, Lake Kiowa, Texas; Amy Elizabeth Smith, management, McAlester, Okla.; and Kelsey Michelle Ward, management/marketing, Lake Kiowa, Texas.

From the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Kristin N. Baker, art, Shawnee; Verone Sidonie Chambers, news and information, Clarendon, Jamaica; Andre Jamal Lee Jones, music education: instrumental, P-12, Lawton, Okla.; Audrey Christine Leyva, strategic communication, Montebello, Calif.; Matthew Isaac Regier, applied communication, Enid, Okla.; Timothy Don Robertson, applied communication, Waynoka, Okla.; Cassandra Suzanne Whitehead, applied communication, Lindsay, Okla.; and Yizong Xie, applied communication, Shanghai, China.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from OBU's College of Humanities and Sciences include Sebastian Barahona, exercise and sports science: personal training, strength and conditioning, Tecumseh; Brad Ryan Batchelor, interdisciplinary: history/political science, Wichita Falls, Texas; Steven Reyes Blanchette, leisure service management: sports and recreation management, Montebello, Calif.; Brodie Lee Bolen, political science, Burkburnett, Texas; Michael Cordero Bolgrin, leisure service management: camp administration, Edmond; Sarah Mae Bussell, elementary education, Meeker, Okla.; Skyler Gene Ellis, exercise and sports science: exercise physiology and wellness, Buellton, Calif.; Kandi Ann Friesen, anthropology, Mankato, Minn.; Jonathan Sierra Gelpi, leisure service management: sports and recreation management, Manati, Puerto Rico; David Laurence Gilliland, leisure service management: camp administration, Ponca City, Okla.; Haleigh Elizabeth Hamil, elementary/special education, Sand Springs, Okla.; and Tecumseh William Ross Harlan, exercise and sports science: personal training, strength and conditioning, Owasso, Okla.

Also from OBU's College of Humanities and Sciences, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Alesha Reneé Johnson, exercise and sports science: pre-allied health and rehabilitation services, Oklahoma City; Melissa PaulAnn Johnson, elementary education, Tecumseh; Brent Michael Jones, interdisciplinary: kinesiology/sports and recreation management, Oklahoma City; Stormy C. Loughner, anthropology, Gainesville, Texas; Mary Elizabeth Marks, Spanish, Del City, Okla.; Melissa Daneen McGehee, elementary/early childhood education, Shawnee; DeAngelo M. McIntosh, interdisciplinary: kinesiology/communication arts/sports management, Harvey, Ill.; Richard Allen Mirowski, interdisciplinary: sports and recreation management/business administration, Redwood City, Calif.; Julia Kathleen Grimes Pope, English, Highland Village, Texas; Jabar Rolle, interdisciplinary: psychology/education/history, Miami, Fla.; Gabrielle Samuels, exercise and sports science: exercise physiology and wellness, Norman, Okla.; Destinee Sophia Santisteven, psychology: pre-counseling, Vacaville, Calif.; Brooke Alane Simmons, family and community service: family life, Henderson, Nev.; Katelynn Elizabeth Scottow, elementary/early childhood education, Plano, Texas; Joseph Wayne Scroggins, interdisciplinary: kinesiology/religion, Shawnee; Michael Glen Sliger, leisure service management: sports and recreation management, Camarillo, Calif.; Zachary Thompson, sociology, Jay, Okla.; and Emily JaNae Yates, elementary education, Seminole, Okla.

From the James E. Hurley College of Science and Mathematics, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Eric Alan Beckett, science secondary education, Rockwall, Texas; Yuen-Jing Alexis Chen, biochemistry, Shawnee; Kirsten Lee Neel, mathematics, Seminole; and Clancy Lee Richards, science secondary education, Enid.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry include Joshua Goepfrich, Christian studies, South Bend, Ind.; Matthew C. Leckie, applied ministry: cross-cultural ministry, Keller, Texas; Sheryl Moore-Jones, Christian studies, Oklahoma City; Dave Scott, Christian studies, Vinita, Okla.; and Burl Spears, Christian studies, Poteau, Okla.

Graduates receiving master of business administration degrees include: Daniel Jay Chouinard, Shawnee; Jinglin Gao, Shawnee; Sarah Vanessa Hamilton, Yukon, Okla.; Eduardo Pajares Jaqueti, Wichita, Kan.; Grace Priscilla Konki-Samuel, Shawnee; Orabelema Fred Oraene, Oklahoma City; Jonna L. Raney, Shawnee; Larry James Rolette Jr., Norman; Kyle Brandon Rudek, Shawnee; Colin T. Russell, Midwest City, Okla.; Wilma Schilling, Meeker; Scott David Timmons, Shawnee; YuJia Wen, Shawnee; Keli Danielle White, Oklahoma City; Zheren Yang, Shawnee; William Bradley Yocum, Midwest City; and Yongjun Zhao, Flushing, N.Y.

Graduates receiving master of science degrees in nursing include: Melissa Jeannine Anderson, Norman; Cristi Jeane Bowerman, Oklahoma City; Jennifer S. Brumley, Moore, Okla.; Elizabeth Ann Calkin, Oklahoma City; Christine D. Clark, Oklahoma City; Terra Collie, Newcastle, Okla.; Kelia Renette Ocker Crabbe, Goldsby, Okla.; Henry E. Davis Jr., Warr Acres, Okla.; Jodi Lynn Elderton, Edmond; Kathleen L. Epps, Edmond; Mavia Zerelda Hardiman, Oklahoma City; Cicely N. Henson, Oklahoma City; Tiffany Elaine Jackson, Oklahoma City; Christine Lynn Jordan, Oklahoma City; Sherry Louise Milligan, Edmond; Arletha Patterson-McClain, Choctaw, Okla.; Stephanie Potts-Nash, Oklahoma City; and Lacey Thompson, Edmond.

Undergraduate students graduate with the scholastic predicate magna cum laude for maintaining at least a 3.70 grade point average. Those honored include Brad Ryan Batchelor, Yuen-Jing Alexis Chen and Brooke Alane Simmons.

Undergraduate students who maintained at least a 3.40 GPA are designated cum laude. They include Amy Elizabeth Akins, Sarah Mae Bussell, Haleigh Elizabeth Hamil, Melissa P. Johnson, Andre Jamal Lee Jones, Stormy C. Loughner, Kirsten Lee Neel, Samantha Denise Olson, Julia Kathleen Grimes Pope, Matthew I. Regier, Kate Elizabeth Scottow and Zachary Raymond Thompson.

Eleven graduates will be recognized in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Who's Who is an annual honors program honoring our nation's leading college students. The program recognizes academic excellence, outstanding accomplishments and contributions to community and school. Those students include Brad Ryan Batchelor, Yuen-Jing Alexis Chen, Terra Collie, Jory Daniel Custar, Stormy Charlene Loughner, Samantha Denise Olson, Orabelema Fred Oraene, Matthew I. Regier, Brooke Alane Simmons, Zachary Raymond Thompson and Emily JaNae Yates.

Junior Class Marshals are the top-ranking junior men and women, based on overall grade point average, who serve as marshals for the Commencement ceremony. They include Jamie Adcock, Andrew Black, Miranda Cartledge, Meagan Collins, Courtney Conway, Rebecca Dorsch, Elizabeth Ellis, Kelsey Funkhouser, Elizabeth Gallaway, Christa Humphreys, Paul Inman, Douglas Jones, Hana Kawasaki, Johanna Kleinsasser, Timothy Livingston, Taylor McDannel, Noelle McDowell, Hope Mead, Bethany Miles, Kayla Mugler, Jessica Powell-Storey, Katie Sanders, Emily Schumacher, Caleb Stogner and Carlie Wood.

Graduate students are honored during luncheons prior to the Commencement ceremony. Each nursing graduate will receive a unique pin specifically designed for OBU MSN graduates. The pins will be presented by Dr. Lana Bolhouse, dean of the College of Nursing.