Graduation

137th McPherson College Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 10, 2025
10:30 am | McPherson Stadium

PRELUDE

Brass Quintet Mr. Chris Barlow-tuba, Dr. Isaac Hopkins-trumpet, Prof. Kyle Hopkins-horn, Mr. Ty Kraemer-trombone, Dr. Kirk MacGregor-trumpet

Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor Dalmau
Canzona Prima a 5 by Giovanni Gabrieli/arr. Arnold Fromme
Sonata from Die Bänkelsängerlieder by anonymous/arr. Robert King
March from Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst/arr. Jerry Nowak

PROCESSIONAL

Bagpipes Mr. Lonny Liljegren, Mr. Jason Frazier, Mr. Gavin Frazier, Mr. Ben Mourn

Traditional Scottish Bagpipe Tunes

INVOCATION

Dr. Aaron Meis, Executive Vice President

WELCOME

Ms. Brooklyn Skinner, Senior Class Representative

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Ms. Tricia Hartshorn, Registrar

“Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.”

PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES

Dr. Matthew Skillen, Assistant Provost and Dean of Faculty

CONFERRING OF DEGREES AND HONORS

Dr. Michael Schneider, President
Dr. Matthew Skillen
Dr. Shane Kirchner, Professor of Education, Director of M.Ed. Program

BENEDICTION

Dr. Aaron Meis

RECESSIONAL

Brass Quintet

Triumphal March from Aida by Giuseppe Verdi/arr. Bill Holcombe

Program Notes

Honor Graduates
Students who have attained a cumulative grade point average of 3.55 will be graduated cum laude (with honors). Students who have attained a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 will be graduated magna cum laude (with high honors). The designation summa cum laude (with highest honors) is reserved for those students who have attained a grade point average of 3.90 or above. Because honors are not computed until all grades have been recorded, honors will not be announced for summer graduates or persons with transfer credit outstanding.

Master of Education at McPherson College
McPherson College’s M.Ed. program leads to licensure in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or Special Education. The students also complete an action research project in an effort to improve their teaching environment.

Photographs of Graduates
A professional photographer will be taking pictures of graduates receiving their diplomas. The photos will be available for download free of charge. A link to the photographs can be found on the commencement web page the week after graduation.

A student’s participation in the commencement ceremony neither guarantees nor implies graduation from McPherson College. Graduation is conferred upon completion of all program requirements.

About the Commencement Speaker

Tricia Hartshorn

Tricia Hartshorn, McPherson College’s Registrar, earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bethany College and has worked in higher education for more than three decades. Her career has included integral roles such as Associate Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions at Friends University (1988-1997), Director of Development and Marketing at the Lindsborg Community Hospital (2001-2008), and Vice President for Recruitment and Marketing at Bethany College (2008-2013). Tricia began her work at McPherson College as an admissions counselor before moving to the registrar’s office in 2014.

Ms. Hartshorn is deeply committed to the Smoky Vally area and lives out the college’s mission of participation and service. She is a graduate of Leadership Lindsborg, she served two terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the Lindsborg Chamber of Chamber of Commerce, and dedicated two years to the Board of Directors for McPherson Area United Way. Tricia volunteers regularly in ministries and outreach activities through the McPherson Church of the Brethren. She also visits regularly with residents at The Cedars. She’s even been known to paint fingernails while catching up over conversation with The Cedars residents.

When she’s not working, Tricia stays active in her church and enjoys spending time with her parents, adult children and their spouses, and grandchildren.

The Academic Costume

Gowns
Since the clergy were the teachers of the Middle Ages, it was natural that their garb became symbolic of the teaching profession as it moved out of the cloister. In the United States, the general wearing of gowns for commencement began in the 1880s. Gowns were originally designed to be worn open or closed. However, closed gowns have become the tradition in this country. Currently, there are three distinct types of gowns: the undergraduate’s gown with its long, pointed sleeves; the master’s gown with long, closed sleeves; and the doctor’s gown with its rounded, full-balloon sleeves and chevrons.

At one time, the color of the gown denoted the wearer’s area of educational specialty, but in the United States the majority of gowns are black. Some universities have designated a particular color as appropriate for their gown, such as the Yale blue, the Cornell red, and the Northwestern purple. These are symbols of the schools’ colors rather than an area of educational specialty.

Gowns of the medieval period were woolen. Some were decorated, and some were lined with fur for warmth. In later eras, velvet came into use, primarily for decoration. In the nineteenth century, the bachelor’s gown was of worsted material; master’s and doctor’s were silk. Trim was used only on doctoral gowns, and the velvet trim on the facing, as well as the bars and chevrons on the sleeves, was either black or the color of the trimming on the hood. Contemporary materials of rayon, nylon, and polyester have replaced the lightweight wool formerly worn for warmth.

Hoods
Originally the hood was the upper part of the cowl worn by monks and friars of the Middle Ages and was designed to keep rain and drafts off its wearer. When not needed, it was pulled off and allowed to hang down over the tippet, or short cape, which was layered over the gown for additional warmth. Later the hood and tippet were joined in the American-style hood.

According to tradition, all hoods are of black material. Bachelor’s and master’s hoods have a “simple” shape attached to a tippet or small cape. The bachelor’s hood, from Oxford, should be three feet long. The master’s hood is four feet long, and the doctoral hood and panel are an additional six inches in length. The hood is usually the same material as the gown.

In medieval times, the hood lining was often fur, but in 1426 an order issued at Oxford allowed people to use hoods lined with silk for the summer months. Currently, most hoods are lined with rayon, nylon, or cotton satin instead of the more expensive silk or fur.

The trim around the edge of the hood, two to five inches wide, represents the department or faculty of learning. The hood lining is in the colors of the college or university conferring the degree. It is appropriate for the individual to wear lining colors of either the institution granting the degree or the institution to which the wearer is officially connected.

Caps
The Oxford cap or mortarboard worn by all graduates from a degree-granting institution comes from the biretta, a cap worn by the Venetian doges during the Italian Renaissance. This cap originally fit over the ears and had a square top with no tassel. Current usage has modified it to a black square on a skull cap pointed front to back. The attached tassel designates the area of educational specialty of the undergraduate degree.

Tassels
Graduates of McPherson College earning a bachelor of science degree wear gold tassels. Those receiving a bachelor of arts degree wear white tassels. Master of Education graduates wear blue tassels.

The College Seal
“Life and Light” (John 1:4) is sometimes given as an interpretation of the Greek motto on the McPherson College seal. The horizontal line (zoe) indicates life. The vertical line (phos) indicates light. The seal was designed in 1920 by W.E. Brubaker. The year 1887, which appears on the seal, is the date of the founding of the college.

The seal is reserved for use on official McPherson College documents and publications. It is stamped in raised letters on diplomas and transcripts, and a gold replica is placed or stamped on many official college certificates of award.

Niraj Adhikari, BS
cum laude
Business Administration: Accounting, Finance

Christian Aguillard, BA
English
Psychology

Lindzie B. Archer, BS
summa cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Art and Design
Photography

Robert R. Aurner, BS
cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Riley Baker, BS
Psychology: Child Development

Leia Claire Barnes, BA
Art & Design: Graphic Design
Digital Media: Visual Design

Darril E. Baty, BS
summa cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Management
Business Administration

Tori Beeson, BS
Business Administration: Management, Marketing
Psychology

Samantha Kathryn Bennett, BS
summa cum laude
Elementary Education
Psychology

Nicholas Berryman, BS
Business Administration: Management

Levi J. Betts, BS
Sport Management

Harley Blaske, BS & M.Ed.
Physical Ed: Licensure
M.Ed.: Curricullum & Instruction

Célien Botlan, BS
summa cum laude
Business Administration: Management

Lucy Elizabeth Bowman, BA
summa cum laude
Social Justice and Advocacy
Spanish
Writing
Communication
Peace Studies
English

Thomas Andrew Boyer, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology
Business Administration

Felix M. Bravo, BS
magna cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Management

Tate Palmour Brewer, BS
cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Oscar D. Brouwer, BS
cum laude
Business Administration: Marketing
Graphic Design

Christian Brown, BS
Business Administration: Marketing
Philosophy & Religion: Pre-Law

Kamryn James Brown, BS
Sociology: Health & Human Services
Psychology

Kobe X. Brown, BS*
Sport studies
Communication

Maxwell Brucks, BA
summa cum laude
Communication
Storytelling

Edwin J. Buiter, BS
summa cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Naomi Campbell Gateka, BS
Business Administration: Accounting, Finance

Jacob E. Campbell-Roberson, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management

Tanner S. Cardoza, BS
Environmental Stewardship

Arian Cervoni Ortiz, BS
Health Science: Movement

Kade Andrew Chapman, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Taehyun Paul Choi, BS†
Healthcare Managment

Connor D Collins, BS†
Sport Management
Business Administration

Kenzie Jordan Cooper, BS
summa cum laude
Elementary Education

Avery T Crawford, BA
Communication

Susanne Cunningham, BA
magna cum laude
Art & Design: Graphic Design
Digital Media: Visual Design
Photography

Joseph Michael Cyr III, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management
English

Wendy Diaz, BA
Spanish
Business Administration

Zachary A. Dittert, BA
Digital Media: Visual Design

Dyron Dixon Jr., BS
magna cum laude
Psychology: Health & Human Services

Madison Alyvia Dobson, BS
Business Administration: Management, Marketing

Kevin S. Dodd, BS
Business Administration: Accounting, Finance, Management

Connor W Donaho, BS*
Sociology: Criminal Justice
History

Summer Jane Dorn, BS
Environmental Stewardship
Biology

Nathan Joseph Jianxuan Drouin, BS
Automotive Restoration: History
History

C Newton Eaheart, BS
Health Science: Allied Health

Rachel Easom, BS*
Business Administration: Management

Alyssa M. Espinoza, BS
magna cum laude
Health Science: Allied Health

Colin Joseph Evers, BS
Sport Studies

Dayjsha Angelenea Marie Fanning, BS
cum laude
Psychology: Health & Human Services

Baxter Dunagan Ferguson, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management

Petra Fernandez Garcia, BS
summa cum laude
Business Administration: Marketing

Zoe Fernandez Garcia, BS
Psychology: Health & Human Services

Nehemiah E. Figueroa, BS
Business Administration: Marketing

Cameron Duane Fouts, BS
Business Administration: Management

Mark Frates, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Hayden Preston Fry, BS
magna cum laude
Health Science: Movement

Koen J. Gakstatter, BS
magna cum laude
Business Administration: Accounting, Management, Marketing

Sergio Gallegos, BS
Sport Studies

Alexandrea Marie Garcia, BS
Health Science: Movement
Psychology

Nathaniel D. Gaut, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management

Miranda Lynn Gaytan, BS
Elementary Education
Special Education

Joseph Glazener, BS
Automotive Restoration: Art and Design

Jacob Goad, BS†
History: Political Science

Maddison Gorman, BS
cum laude
Elementary Education
Special Education

Riley P. Granger, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management

Braden Greene, BS
Sport Studies

Aidan J. Grimsley, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management

Laura Guillamat-Ribo, BS
summa cum laude
Sport Studies

Isaac L Hale, BS*
Environmental Stewardship

Dylan Wade Hampton, BS†
Health Science: Allied Health
Psychology

Jamil Carl Hardaway, BA
Communication
Business Administration

Alaina Harkins, BS
magna cum laude
Sport Studies

Emma D’Anne Heglin Meyer, BS
Health Science: Allied Health

Addie Elise Heitschmidt, BA
magna cum laude
Art & Design: Licensure

Karisa I. Hernandez, BS
Biology
Psychology

Joseph A. Herrmann, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management

Alex Christopher Hill, BS†
Psychology: Health & Human Services

Julius D. Howard, BS
Business Administration: Accounting

Bailey Amanda Hulce, BA
cum laude
Communication
Storytelling

Christopher Jackson, BS
summa cum laude
Psychology: Health & Human Services

Carlos Enrique Jacobo, BS
Biology
Psychology

Zoe Isabelle Jerke, BS
magna cum laude
Biology

Abdulrahman Buya Kanu, BS
Business Administration: Management

Andrew J. Kemp, BS
summa cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Jacob Kennedy, BS
Business Administration: Management

Aidan M Klaas, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Stephanie Stella Ko, BS
summa cum laude
Psychology: Health & Human Services

Brooke M Krapes, BA
Religion/Politics/Law
Studio Art

Alivia Lange, BS
Health Science: Allied Health

Brock Michael Lauer, BS
Business Administration: Finance, Management

Dominic Edward Lawrence, BS
Sport Studies

Carlos R. Leandry Laureano, BS
magna cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Management

Dominic D. Leech, BS*
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Toby Leigh Leffew, BA
cum laude
English
Communication
Theatre

Lizette Aidee Loera, BS
Psychology: Health & Human Services
Sociology: Health & Human Services

Samantha Lombela, BS†
Business Administration: Management

Lily Noelle Lougheed, BS
Business Administration: Management

Campbell Lyons, BS
cum laude
Sport Management

Lauren Hastings Machado, BS
summa cum laude
Health Science: Allied Health

Joel A. Maldonado, BS
Health Science: Allied Health

Daniel Alejandro Marcano Genua, BS
Business Administration: Accounting, Finance

Lucas McAlister, BS
Automotive Restoration: Management

Evan J. McGoldrick, BS
magna cum laude
Business Administration: Management, Marketing
Spanish

Jean McKinney-Chance, BA
Performing Arts: Theatre
Art & Design: Studio Art

Celeste Morgan McMillen, BS
magna cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Management

Ellery Quinn McMurry, BA
summa cum laude
Art & Design: Graphic Design
Theatre

Michael C. Medina, BS
Business Administration: Management
Coaching

Christopher J. Miller, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology
Business Administration

Marco Martin Moncada, BS
Sport Studies

Jayla Moore, BS
summa cum laude
Biology
Psychology

King Perishe Moore, BS
Business Administration: Management

Meghan Hallie Morris, BA
magna cum laude
Communication
Theatre

Peniel Mpoyi, BS
Healthcare Management

Raegan R. Murphy, BS
magna cum laude
Health Science: Movement

Reilly K. Murphy, BA
magna cum laude
Digital Media: Communication

Amanda Nagy, BA
Digital Media: Communication

Cynthia Nakata, BS
Health Science: Allied Health

Marcus Nardy, BS
summa cum laude
Sport Studies

Brayden Noland, BS
Business Administration: Management

Luke M. Nordean, BS
Business Administration: Management

William D. Patterson, BS
Sociology: Criminal Justice
Psychology: Child Development

James Dalton Pennington, BS
Business Administration: Marketing

Carissa Ann Peters, BS
Business Administration: Marketing

Emily Mae Peterson, BS
summa cum laude
Business Administration: Accounting, Finance

Carly Jean Pomrenke, BS
magna cum laude
Biochemistry
Business Administration

Katelyn Victoria Potestio, BS
Health Science: Movement

Kennan Puckett, BS
Business Administration: Management

Amari N. Robb, BS
cum laude
Sociology: Criminal Justice
Psychology: Health & Human Services

Parker Roberts, BS
Mathematics: Licensure

Adryan Rodriguez, BS*†
Business Administration: Accounting, Finance, Management

Devin Jeremy Roff, BS
cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Management

Kourtnie Nellie Mae Rohn, BS
Elementary Education

Curtis Rose, BS
Business Administration: Management

Christopher J Roshell, BS
Business Administration: Marketing

Gage Saltkill, BS*
Mathematics: Licensure

Kaitlyn P. Sarsfield, BS
Health Science: Allied Health
Psychology

Braden Todd Schiffner, BS
summa cum laude
Business Administration: Management

Logan Brady Scott, BS
summa cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Christopher Gian Luca Shaw, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Brooklyn R. Skinner, BS
Health Science
Psychology
Biology

Riley Quinn Sojka, BS
cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Daryn Joseph Stack, BA
Communication
Business Administration

Michael Peyton Starr, BS
Business Administration: Management

Sarah A. Stebbins, BS
cum laude
Psychology: Child Development
Communication

Collin V Storr, BS
Business Administration: Management

Colby Alexander Stuart, BS
Sport Management
Business Administration
Communication

Tristan M. Szabo, BS
Business Administration: Management, Marketing
Communication

Grant Thimmesch, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Dalton Leander Thomas, BA
Social Justice and Advocacy

Ashanti Ann-Marie Thompson, BA
magna cum laude
Digital Media: Communication
Storytelling

Genesis Thompson, BA
cum laude
Philosophy & Religion: Pre-Law
Communication

Samantha Nicole Thompson, BS & M.Ed.
Elementary Education
M.Ed.: Curricullum & Instruction

Mariah Touisithiphonexay, BS
Automotive Restoration: Technology

Dalton E. Vogts, BS
cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Art and Design

Hadley Emilie Waldren, BS
magna cum laude
Psychology: Child Development
Sociology: Criminal Justice

Courtney Cecilia Ward, BA
summa cum laude
Philosophy & Religion: Pre-Law
Psychology
Communication

Antonio Michael Garrett Watson, BS
magna cum laude
Business Administration: Accounting, Finance

Charity Williams, BS
Health Science: Allied Health

Jaquez Malik Wilson, BA*
Art & Design: Graphic Design

Megan Brooke Wright, BS
Business Administration: Management

Collin A. Young, BS
cum laude
Automotive Restoration: Management
Business Administration

Val Edward Zarkh, BS
summa cum laude
Automotive Restoration: History
Business Administration: Finance, Marketing

Wiktor Zaton, BS
Sport Management
Business Administration

denotes minor emphasis
* denotes summer graduates
† denotes in absentia

Past ceremonies:

2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019

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