Winter Commencement to Honor 104 Graduates

Sixty-two undergraduate students and 42 graduate students will have degrees conferred upon them during OBU's Winter Commencement on Friday, Dec. 13. W.C. "Nick" Garland, Jr. will deliver the commencement address.

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Friday's commencement will 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.

Garland is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, where he has served since 1986. He has maintained numerous roles for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, and currently serves as BGCO president. He also is active in the Southern Baptist Convention and has preached at Southwestern and Midwestern seminaries, state conferences, and churches across the state of Oklahoma.

A 1973 graduate of Florence State University, Garland also attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity in 1977.

Under Garland's leadership, FBCBA became a Global Focus church with a network of other churches in 2001.

Dr. Anthony Jordan, executive director/treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, will bring greetings on behalf of the BGCO. The undergraduate graduating class will be presented by Cody Moser, president of the OBU Student Government Association and a junior from Noble, Okla., and Dr. Stan Norman, provost and executive vice president for campus life. Rachel Potts, OBU director of admissions and a member of the OBU Graduate School graduating class, will present the graduating graduate class.

The program also includes special music presented by Joy Knight, a member of the class of 2014 from North Richland Hills, Texas. 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 Chase Norman Adams, finance, Tuscon, Ariz.; Jed Dankert, finance, Chambers, Neb.; Caleb Dax Dilbeck, finance, Edmond, Okla.; Ethan Hunter Fine, marketing and management, Albuquerque, N.M.; Chloe Kuhlmann, marketing, Irving, Texas; Mario Maia, management, Natal, Brazil; Christopher Michael Rogers, marketing, Parker, Colo.; Matthew W. Sehorn, management, Shawnee, Okla.; and Lintong Zhong, international business, Chongqqing, China.

From the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Brittany Lauren Achilles, news and information, Wickenburg, Ariz.; Kyndall Blevins, art, Grapevine, Texas; Matthew Thomas Bralley, news and information, Mannsville, Okla.; Noelle M. Grose, art education, P-12, Okemah, Okla.; Molly Hennesy, graphic design, Argyle, Texas; Christina Ruth Hernandez, graphic design, Shawnee; B. Kody James, graphic design, Duncan, Okla.; Kaitlyn Leanne Jennings, music education: instrumental, P-12, Duncan; Robert Mills, theatre, San Antonio, Texas; and Dakota Danielle Williams, strategic communications, Frisco, Texas.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from OBU's College of Humanities and Social Sciences include Karli Beth Butler, English, Sapulpa, Okla.; Rah'man Y. Byrd, psychology, Hollis, Okla.; Karlie Clifford, elementary/early childhood education, Oklahoma City; Ross Ferrans, elementary/special education, Rochester, Mich.; Chianelle Flores, elementary/special education, Visalia, Calif.; Jacob Ryan Folsom, leisure service management: sports and recreation management, Cedar Vale, Kan.; Katelyn Marie Garrett, health & physical education P-12, Blanchard, Okla.; Shauna Goff, psychology: pre-counseling, Shawnee; Jordan Golata, elementary education, Frisco; Bethany Greeno, exercise and sports science: pre-allied health, Haskell, Okla.; Jade E. Hansen, exercise and sports science: pre-allied health, Jay, Okla.; Daniel Scott Howell, leisure service management: sports and recreation management, Pismo Beach, Calif.; Brittany Michelle Miller, political science, Pocola, Okla.; Aurora Zoe Phoenix Oberg, English, Richaland, Wash.; Nick Alan Pinkerton, interdisciplinary: youth ministry/personal training, Oklahoma City; and Charles W. Quintanilla, psychology, Hannibal, Mo.

Also from OBU's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Mariana Martins Rose, international relations, Brazil; Jordan Sinclair, anthropology, Lewisville, Texas.; Rebekah Ann Smith, elementary/special education, Prague, Okla.; Hailea Michelle Stewart, family and community service: community track, Royse City, Texas; Megan Rae Stuckey, early childhood education, Wichita Falls, Texas; Fred Titera, personal training/strength and conditioning, Moore, Okla.; Mitch D. Warne, leisure service management: sports and recreation management, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Brittany Paige Watkins, family and community service: family life, Broken Arrow, Okla.; Paige Lauren Whitson, elementary/early childhood education, Enid, Okla.; Ashlyn Hope White, elementary/early childhood education, Bristow, Okla.; and Tiffany Marie Zenner, special education/elementary education, Kiefer, Okla.

From the James E. Hurley College of Science and Mathematics, candidates for bachelor's degrees include Marisa Elena Galvan Cones, science/secondary education, Spring, Texas; Ethan Hight Linscott, physics, Atoka, Okla.; Jon Eric Loveland, biochemistry, Shawnee; and Jimmy Manyanga, biology, Shawnee.

Candidates for bachelor's degrees from the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry include Barnabas David Barrett, cross-cultural ministry, Aurora, Colo.; Barbara Diane Day, religion, Tecumseh, Okla.; Michael L. Grout, Christian studies, Mounds, Okla.; Norma Lee Goff, Christian studies; Matthew Todd Gragg, applied ministry: youth, Oklahoma City; Taylor Nicole McDannel, religion: Bible, Thornton, Colo.; Colby Blake Nicholson, pastoral ministry, Stillwater, Okla.; Lewis Jovan Perez, religion: Bible/pastoral ministry, Rowlett, Texas.; Joe Powers, Jr., religion: Bible, Macomb, Okla.; Juan Santiago Romero, Bible, Pearland, Texas; Maggie J. Rosentreter, applied ministry: youth, Carlinville, Ill.; Michael Scott Ward, applied ministry: youth/church recreation, Norman, Okla.

Graduates receiving master of business administration degrees include: John Charles Burns, Shawnee; Rogelio Campos, Jr, Edmond; Sarah Catherine Carter, Oklahoma City; Mary Ann Chisholm, Prague; Ettine S. Edemidiong, Oklahoma City; Allen Lee Garcia, Muskogee, Okla.; Kirt Neilson Henderson, Shawnee; Lucianne Tiemmi Kimura, Shawnee; Boaz Andrew Massey, Shawnee; Benjamin Glen Pierce, Oklahoma City; Rachel Potts, Shawnee; Lynna Beth Scarborough, Oklahoma City; Jabari A. Toure, Oklahoma City; Kyndall Renee Watson, Yukon, Okla.; A. Sinclair Williams, Indianapolis, Ind.; Lin Yan, Shawnee; and Tianyi Zhang, Niskayuna, N.Y.

Graduates receiving master of science degrees in nursing include: Jennifer Lynn Beene, Edmond; Deanne Renee Branch, Mustang, Okla.; Janet Nanette Byers, Midwest City, Okla.; Laryssa Lou Couch, Purcell, Okla.; Becky Ann Cunningham, Yukon; Cristen Lewis DeGraffenreid, Edmond; Stephenia Ann Disabella, Meridian, Okla.; Jennifer Lynn Duerksen, Oklahoma City; Kathy E. Foster, Norman; Courtney Joan Frame, Oklahoma City; Rose Shaji George, Oklahoma City; Linda D. Sapp Goen, Shawnee; Merette Dean Goff, Oklahoma City; Carolyn Rosella Hansen, Norman; Sandra Kay Hudson, Moore; Brigid Larson, Oklahoma City; Lisa McCool, Perry, Okla.; Leslie Renea Gadderson, Yukon; Marcia Owens, Oklahoma City; Janet Marie Pitt, Yukon; Amanda Renee Procter, Oklahoma City; Sandra J. Teel, Oklahoma City; Linda Kay Treitler, Wichita Falls; Stacey Post-Vails, Edmond; Tamara Webb.

Undergraduate students graduate with the scholastic predicate summa cum laude for maintaining at least a 3.95 grade point average. Those honored include Jordan Golata, Taylor Nicole McDannel and Nick Alan Pinkerton.

Undergraduate students graduate with the scholastic predicate magna cum laude for maintaining at least a 3.70 grade point average. Those honored include Brittany Achilles, Karli Beth Butler, Noelle Marie Grose, Ethan Hight Linscott, Jimmy Manyanga, Aurora Zoe Phoenix Oberg and Rebekah Ann Smith.

Undergraduate students who maintained at least a 3.40 GPA are designated cum laude. They include Karlie Clifford, Tiffany Marie Zenner, Marisa Elena Galvan Cones, Barbara Diane Day, Bethany Greeno, Chianelle Marie Flores, Norma Lee Goff, Molly Ann Hennesy, Chloe Kuhlmann, Chris Rogers, Hailea M. Stewart, Mitch Douglas Warne and Ashlyn Hope White.

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 Mary Ann Chisholm, Jordan Golata, Ethan Hight Linscott, Jimmy Manyanga, Taylor Nicole McDannel, Nick Alan Pinkerton, Rachel Marie Potts and Mitch Douglas Warne.

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 Chelsea Abinah, Cama Dooley, Halie Herbert, Keli Michael, Lucas Adams, Hannah Estes, Hannah Karr, Abigail Pearson, Taylor Boomer, Kaitlyn Giza, Morgan Marshall, Allie Preston, Alicia Daniel, Devon Hale, Emily McCarthy, Audrey Southworth, Alyssa Deeds, Allissa Harshberger, Kacee McKinney and Kourtney Trent.

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 Lepaine McHenry, dean of the College of Nursing.