Commencement May 2024
Commencement
May 4, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
Columbus Convention and Trade Center – Columbus, Georgia
*Processional
Mr. Lanier Motes Director, Scott Fine Arts Center
Welcome ...............................................................................................................................................
Mr. Dean C. Collins President
Invocation......................................................................................................................................
Mr. Samuel W. Huxford Dean, College of Biblical Studies and Ministry
Scripture Reading
Ms. Nicci Wooley Assistant Professor of Communication
Introduction of Speaker ....................................................................................................................
Mr. Dean C. Collins President
Commencement Address
Ms. Khalilah Cooper
Vice President of Brand Strategy, Advertising and Media, Chick-fil-A
Special Recognitions ...............................................................................................................................
Dr. Susan S. Ryan Dean, College of Education
Presentation of Candidates for Degrees ..........................................................................................
Dr. Stephen Waers Chief Academic Officer
Conferral of Degrees
*Prayer ....................................................................................................................................................
Mr. Dean C. Collins President
Mr. Dean C. Collins President
*Alma Mater ................................................. L. Motes, D. Glenn, M. Plank .......................................... Mr. Daniel Stith
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater, cherished gold and blue. For teaching us to lead and serve, and to God’s Word be true. Lifting high the cross of Christ, our faithful legacy. From east to west our song shall be, “We are Point University.”
*Recessional
*Audience please stand
Mr. Lanier Motes Director, Scott Fine Arts Center
Candidates for Graduation
Certificate
Medical Assisting
Jennifer Dee Espinoza
Mary Elizabeth Langhals
Information Technology
Martin J. Martinez†
Edgar E. Rangel
James Yunha Shin*
Medical Coding and Billing
Theresa Furches
Evelyn Seay
Accounting
Morgan M. Kempton*
Business
Sydney Audrea Fountain
Business Administration
Claydell Thomas Andrews†
Kayla M. Chavez*
Rylee Crisp†
Ariana N. Delgado
Anna C. Gambrell
Meagan Jeszka^
Grace Lenge
Nathaniel Nanda
Haven G. Stalcup^
Amber Steadman
Associate of Science
Medical Assisting
Krystal Gunkelman*
Destiney Surowic
Associate of Arts
Francisco A. Tapia
John D. Ward†
Child Development
Veronica E. Croft^
Christian Ministries
Rachel Elizabeth Benca
Sherley M. Vazquez
Jadalynn Wedekind†
Criminal Justice
Gunner Tyrel Burris†
Crystal Jean Douglas
Kimberly R. Smith†
General Studies
Madison Hammock
Medical Coding and Billing
Danielle Medina
Katherine L. Warwick^
Human Relations
Natasha A. Beecher
Allison Renee Jackson†
Anna Jaramillo*
Mekyia J. Keaton*
Organizational Leadership
Jacob D. Franks*
Psychology
Terry L. Buffington†
Crystal Foate
Logan A. Niswonger*
Public Health
Jessica Crain†
* denotes cum laude graduate; ^ denotes magna cum laude graduate; † denotes summa cum laude graduate
Accounting — Forensics and Fraud
Hattie Ni*
Applied Ministry
Nicholas J. Gilchrist Biology
Mataea Boyd
Destinie Claggion
Ian M. Dougherty
Wellsley Blaine Henderson
Emma Faith Kilgo
Marina Lima Queiroz^
Mason Trent Sheppard
Biology — Preprofessional
Destinee Ellison^
Jordan Roberson
Danielle Rustin
Business Administration
Gene Felix Aberouette
Joshua David Baldwin
Brandon Cervantes
Brittney E. Chandler*
Garland McPaul Joseph Curley*
Kathy Renee’ Godwin†
Bryce Ryan Ingram†
Elijah C. Kennedy^
Cynthia Karina Lara^
Christopher Slade Mink
Theron J. Montgomery
Tafarah Marcail Parrish
Cristian Anthony Sanchez
Bo L. Schramm
Cameron Seiwert
Jordon Dawn Townley^
Jeffrey Carl Urban*
Brenton M. White
Peyton C. Woody
Allie Pruitt Young†
Child and Youth Development
Alex Pierce Marquand
Chinedu Tochukwu Nnadi
Marquavius Jaquan Thornton
Jena C. Tompkins^
Child Development
Lydia Arreola
Courtney Bowen
Audrey Grace DeJohn^
Annamaria Gibbs†
Lesley D. Grizzle†
Bachelor of Science
Madison Mackenzy Braaksma Gusmano†
Stacey Marie Hajec
Katelyn Mary Moseman^
Stephanie D. Murphy
Samantha D. Smith
Ursula Mignon Victoria Strickland
Randi Taylor
Megan Vines†
Valenza R. Whitaker^
Christian Ministries
Hannah Nichole Birchfield
Katina Renee Bryant*
Stephanie Leigh Mincey
Jacob Christian Newman
Counseling and Human Services
Anna Grace Grubb*
Austin Steven Hemphill
Criminal Justice
Shakwan Xavier Bickley
Sara Ann Bolton†
Emery Charles Bryant Jr.
Kimberly Renee Buffington
Crystal N. Daniska^
Taylor B. Hogan†
Jeremiah Menzies
Tobi Raegan Roberson†
Kellie W. Rodman-Holley
SanJuana E. Romero
Arianna Silva
Zada Cherie Smith*
Je’Marcus Snow
Elijah J. Vaughn†
Aubrey Sanjuan Warner
Elementary Education
Daixa Joen Andujo*
Joshua L. Gosdin†
BreAnna Nicole Yarbrough*
Entrepreneurship
Jordan Anthony Paul^
Exercise Science
Nolwenn Blain
Sydney E. Cobb
Victoria Cortes
Barry Orlanda Finley
Olivia Morgan Jeffries†
Roman A. Jones
Jordan Elizabeth Palmer†
Healthcare Administration
Lisa F. Feagin†
Stephanie M. Miller†
Timia Sheppard
Human Relations
Susan R. Moore
Management
Nicholas A. Boos
Marketing
Zebediah Ethan Baird
Rachel O’Neal
Middle Grades Education
Michael Johnson Music
Isaac John Brewer
Paisley Savannah Patterson
Organizational Leadership
Paige Ann Lamkins^
Abram C. Waller Moon
Ka’Von Tyrell Williams
Psychology
Joshua Moises Barber-Simmons
Elizabeth A. Bonin-Moore^
Yolanda Adelina Cruz^
Miranda Charles
Katelyn Jiles*
Olivia Skye Loftin
Bailey Mara
Elijah Doniell Pace
Zowie Reeves†
Ariadna Roca Arjona†
Josh Paul Zacharewicz^
Secondary Education
Benjamin G. Beasley*
Social Media Marketing
Trevor Thomas Harry
Sydney Jasmine Aquino Orellana^
Special Education
Alyssa Rylee Davis*
Savannah M. McCarty^
Youth and Family Ministries
Samantha E. Baggarley*
Kelly Kaeser
Courtney D. Lawson
Bachelor of Business Administration
Accounting
Thomas Eskew*
Financial Management
Nicholas Bryan Marien^
Biblical Studies and Preaching Ministry
Joshua Beam†
Management
Davyon L. Dukes
Bryce James Koshko*
Aaliyah Neville
De’Andre I. Wade
Zane M. Whitehead
Bachelor of Social Work
Alexia P. Devine
Bachelor of Arts
Biblical Studies and Youth and Family Ministry
John Hughston Juranitch
Marketing
Erick Manuel Cruz
Mikayela Aiyana Moore
Master of Business Administration
Humanities
Khalen J. Wimes
Jeremy Arledge
Amber L. Barie
Isaiah Sanders Bell
Mehazabin Tishma Bell
Riley Brown
Gina Caruso
John H. Charping
Brandon Coleman
Dominique Aurora Cooke
Matthew Chase Dial
Emily Elizabeth Gordon
Tyler Hendon
Andrew Hurst
Mariah Issa
Christian T. Johnson
Amanda Lauren Jones
Roger Kratz
Karen Patnaik
Vincent Xavier Pirozzi
Stephanie Marie Prickett
Morgan Elizabeth Randolph
De’Amber Faye Reynolds
Destiny A’Leah Reynolds-Jones
Julianne Robinson
Collin Rose
Dawayne C. Rountree
Brooke Marie Ruthven
Alexandra L. Schumacher
Robert Harold Smith III
Jesse Ryan Smithwick
Robert Michael Thorpe
John Andrew Tofte
Blake Zabel
* denotes cum laude graduate; ^ denotes magna cum laude graduate; † denotes summa cum laude graduate
The listing of degree candidates in this publication is not an official documentation of actual graduates or honors earned.
The conferral of a degree is by receipt of a diploma or official transcript noting degree completion.
About the Commencement Speaker
Khalilah Cooper is vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media at Chick-fil-A, Inc., where she focuses daily on building a brand that inspires people to take good care of each other. Having joined the company in 2013, Cooper is passionate about growing the Chick-fil-A brand to have a positive influence domestically and internationally. Prior to her current role, Cooper led the restaurant design team supporting a talented group of designers, architects and engineers. Prior to leading the design team, she spent more than eight years leading strategy, innovation and execution efforts centered on the customer experience at Chick-fil-A. Cooper also helped establish Women in Business at Chickfil-A. Before joining Chick-fil-A, Cooper was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, serving consumerpackaged goods, retail and nonprofit clients to help solve complex business challenges with a focus on marketing, organizational design and e-commerce. She originally joined McKinsey as a summer associate and rejoined the firm full time after graduating from Harvard Business School.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from Cornell University, Cooper joined Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products as a scientist and later transitioned into a go-to-market leader role for the Aveeno® brand. At Johnson & Johnson, she led new product launches, cost improvement projects, and multiple reformulations across a variety of well-known brands.
A native of Chicago, Cooper has a passion for educational equality and youth-focused mentorship – particularly within underserved communities. She serves as a mentor for aspiring leaders and is also a Sunday School teacher for preschoolers and middle schoolers. She is also member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., has served as an undergraduate interviewer for Harvard University, and has served on the board for multiple education-based organizations, including Landmark Christian School. Cooper now lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, with her husband, Edwin, and two sons, Aiden and Ethan.
Graduation Honors
Students who earn a grade point average of 3.500 through 3.699 are graduated cum laude, 3.700 through 3.899 are graduated magna cum laude, and 3.900 through 4.000 are graduated summa cum laude. Associate degree graduates receiving these honors are identified with silver tassels and silver honor cords. Bachelor's degree graduates receiving these honors are identified with gold tassels and gold honor cords. Blue honor cords indicate student-athletes who are graduating with honors. Red, white and blue cords indicate the student is a veteran. Red and green cords denote members of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, and silver and navy cords denote members of Omega Nu Lambda Honor Society for online students.
The Hathcock Award is the highest honor Point University awards to a student graduating with a bachelor's degree. This recognition is based on academic achievement, character, and servant leadership.
Academic Dress
The academic dress worn by the Point University faculty today originated in the Middle Ages and was standardized in 1895. The gown indicates the level of the highest degree held: for bachelors, the black gown with flowing, pointed sleeves; for masters, the black gown with sleeves slit midway for the arms and the sleeve bottom closed flat with a semicircle cut in the side; for doctors, the flowing robe with sleeves closed at the wrist. Sleeve decorates are chevrons of velvet, most often black on black, but occasionally of another color, indicating the general field of study.
Most identification is noted by the hoods. Velvet edging indicates the subject matter in which the degree was earned. The lining of the hood is a precise code identifying the university of the degree’s origin.
If the highest degree was attained in the United Kingdom or Europe, academic gown and hood styles do not fit a standard pattern and are determined, rather, by the degree-granting university. Generally, these can be identified by an open front and a colored hood which designates the degree earned.
About Point University
Founded in 1937 as Atlanta Christian College, Point University is preparing students to influence culture for Christ in all spheres of life. Point University’s purpose is to equip students to take their faith into the marketplace in new and culturally relevant ways — to erase the lines between who they are and what they do so that they see life and mission as one and the same.
