OBU to Honor Graduates During Winter Commencement

December 10, 2025

OBU will confer degrees upon undergraduate and graduate students during Winter Commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in the Recreation and Wellness Center (RAWC) on OBU’s campus in Shawnee. A live stream will be available for watching the ceremony online at www.youtube.com/okbuedu/live.

The event marks the first OBU commencement held on campus since the April 2023 EF2 tornado. Jerome Loughridge, executive director of the Aspen-Kern Program on Leadership and Character in Higher Education, will deliver the commencement address.

Junior class marshals will escort the graduating class to their seats. The top-ranking junior men and women, based on overall grade-point average, serve as marshals. This group includes: Stacey Berry, Haven Brewer, Bray Bussell, Michael Cannon, Morye Chandler, Shaylee Crowder, Kathryn Dublin, Sarah Epperson, Ashlyn Foster, Gideon Gish, Mandolin Greene, Aden Harland, Faith Holbrook, Noel Ingram, Reese Janik, Christopher King, Tuydale LeFlore, Mekenzie Lyda, Kyra Mackley, Grace Mapes, Aubrey Marjason, Hannah Markes, Bailey McIntosh, Taya McReynolds, Dylanne Nelson, Collin Pope, Megan Quirk, James Rother, Elizabeth Scheer, Devin Sligar, Haley Stewart, Lily Thompson, Zachary Ware and Craig Wickliffe.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Paul Dickinson School of Business include Will Barton, marketing; Grant Michael Blythe, marketing; William Ellis, professional accountancy; Eric David Glasscock, management; Kimberly J. Howard, interdisciplinary: business administration and Bible; Michael Andriyovich Murzin, professional accountancy; Adrianna Newby, marketing; Allison Ryan, computer information systems; Kyle David Shannon, finance; and Ryan Patrick Stanley, computer science.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Henry F. McCabe Family School of Education include Lillian Harrel, elementary education, and Joseph Wilmer Kelly, English education, secondary, minor in psychology.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Division of Exercise Science, Sports and Recreation include Sean Devante Dixon, exercise science, human performance emphasis; Darci Edmondson, exercise science, pre-allied health emphasis; Cooper Hayes, exercise science, pre-allied health emphasis; Aaron Juniper, exercise science, human performance emphasis; Ryan Dean Staal, exercise science, pre-allied health emphasis, minor in Christian ministry; and Gabrielle Struck, interdisciplinary: psychology and exercise science.

The candidate for a bachelor’s degree from the James E. Hurley School of Science and Mathematics is Isaiah Jones, mathematics, minor in physics.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Warren M. Angell School of Visual and Performing Arts include Hailey Earls, communication studies; Elizabeth Houser, music composition; and Karsyn Hunter, communication studies, minor in marketing.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences include Caitlin Isabella Clark, psychology, pre-counseling, minor in family science; Briley Fleming, psychology, minor in criminal justice; Samantha Leigh Milligan, criminal justice, minor in pre-law; Kennedy Alexis Neal, psychology, pre-counseling, minor in family science; Benjamin William Pavek, history, minor in philosophy; Mattie Pogue, criminal justice, minor in politics; Jared Stewart, psychology, pre-counseling, minor in family science; and Spylar Kenlee Webb, psychology, minor in family science.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Division of Language and Literature include Rya’Lynn Simons, English, minor in journalism; Loren Johnson, interdisciplinary: business administration, exercise science, and sociology; and Tainique Taylor, interdisciplinary: psychology, exercise science, and criminal justice.

Candidates for bachelor’s degrees from the Herschel H. Hobbs School of Theology and Ministry include Riley Baker, cross-cultural ministry, student and family ministry emphasis, minor in philosophy; Hayden Oliver Forest, global marketplace engagement, business emphasis; Jacob Hadley, global marketplace engagement, teaching English to speakers of other languages emphasis; Mason Price Hardesty, cross-cultural ministry, pastoral ministry emphasis, minor in family science; Gabriel Lane, biblical and theological studies, biblical languages emphasis; Kylee Lane, cross-cultural ministry, student and family ministry emphasis, minor in biblical studies; James R. Lewis, Christian studies; Isaac Liston, global marketplace engagement, teaching English to speakers of other languages emphasis; Cheryl Lynn Morgan, Christian studies; David Piers, Christian ministry, minor in sports management; Drew Rohrbach, Christian ministry and theatre; Joseph Sanders, Christian ministry, minor in politics; and Ashley Ann Thompson, Christian studies.

Candidates for the Master of Business Administration from the Paul Dickinson School of Business include Jose Nicholas Aguilera, business administration; Christopher Brunin, business administration; Elizabeth Castro, business administration; Mackenzie Jolie Crusoe, business administration; Jacob Elick, business administration; Madison Flores, business administration; Bailey Foutz, business administration; Avery Hellmuth, business administration; Noah Higgins, business administration; Robert Bruce Robidou, business administration; and Aditya Singh, business administration.

Candidates for the Master of Arts from the Henry F. McCabe Family School of Education include Jahden Brown, teaching; Alysia Davenport, teaching; Michaela Dougherty, teaching; Nathan Henager, teaching; Lauren Ashley Jardot, teaching; Marieh Jordyn Pritchett, teaching; Jennifer Marie Robinett, teaching; and Jesse Taylor, teaching.

Candidates for the Master of Arts in Christian studies from the Herschel H. Hobbs School of Theology and Ministry include Tyler A. Craig, Christian studies, apologetics; Faira Ann Dempsey, intercultural studies; Kerry Dean Glasgow, Christian studies, Christian leadership; Naaman Mitchell Henager, Christian studies, biblical and theological studies; Jennifer Klakulak, Christian studies, biblical and theological studies; Charles Cody Reynolds, Christian studies, Christian ministry; Jacob O. Vanderslice, Christian studies, leadership; and Nick Wallace, Christian studies, biblical and theological studies.

For more information, visit www.okbu.edu/student-life/commencement.