Defiance College held its 129th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7.
178 graduates were awarded diplomas during the 12 noon event. The College also presented its highest honor, the Pilgrim Medal, to graduating senior Katie Haydett of Saint Clair Shores, Mich.; and DC alumnus David Westrick of Defiance, Ohio. The bronze Pilgrim Medal is awarded to graduating seniors who give the most promise of exemplifying the traits enumerated on the medal, and a silver medal is awarded to alumni and citizens who have in their lives demonstrated these traits.
Graduating senior Dava Donaldson of Elyria delivered the senior class address, and the commencement address was given by Dan Benjamin, head coach of the Women’s Basketball Program for Mount St. Joseph University, a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference peer.
Receiving diplomas were:
Bachelor of Arts: Joe Hilton, Antwerp; George Roth, Summa Cum Laude, Ayersville; Kailin Regutti, Cum Laude, Carey; Royce Raymond Laurendeau, Cum Laude, Clyde; Clay Eric Bracken, Summa Cum Laude, Continental; David Besaw, Justin Coressel, Michael Degler, Cum Laude; Julia M. Dickman, Magna Cum Laude; Alex Elkins, Britny Krill, Michelle Elizabeth Puehler, Summa Cum Laude; Bianca Relue, and Johnathan D. Sparks, Defiance; Levi Rosales, Delta; Dava Donaldson, Elyria; Natasha Rhea Balduff, Cum Laude, Fremont; Ricardo Girona, Grand Rapids; Susan D. Korecki, London; Mark Goebel, Montpelier; Lucas Parsell, Cum Laude, Napoleon; Stephanie Lynn Bell, Magna Cum Laude; and Elizabeth Daniel, Cum Laude, Ney; Andrew D. Metz, Northwood; Haley Kuhlman, Cum Laude, Oregon; Heidi Dix, Paulding; Kevin J. Becker, Leland Hays, Jordan Torbet, and Wade Wooley, Wauseon; Zane Hayes, Wellington; Carissa Raven Schreiber, Weston; Jayson Paul Long, Worthington; Wayne E. Kelly II, Cum Laude, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Blayne Joseph Robbins, Cum Laude, Galva, Ill.; Chris Wade, Palm Bay, Fla.; Andrew J. Prielipp, Britton, Mich.; Nicole Darlene Walls, Carleton, Mich.; Joseph Niehaus, Grass Lake, Mich.; Jillian Crowell, Cum Laude, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Chris Douglas, Wixom, Mich.; Melissa Waskiewicz, Minneapolis, Minn.; Jordan K. Dagostaro, Magna Cum Laude, Scotch Plains, N.J.; Erica Cruz Islas, Lockhart, Texas; and Lornette Lynch, Cum Laude, St. Mary, Jamaica.
Bachelor of Science: Casey Doudna, Albany; Joshua Lett, Summa Cum Laude, Alvordton; Kelsea Lynne Burns and Josh W. Hilton, Antwerp; Heather Ann Quinn, Cum Laude, Bluffton; Damian Koester, Magna Cum Laude, Brookville; Kayla M. Beattie, Magna Cum Laude; Adam Dangler, Megan Davis, Summa Cum Laude; and Philip J. Fry, Bryan; Troy Parrett, Cedarville; Jake Andres, Cincinnati; David Brown Jr., Columbus; Peter Alex Brown II, Magna Cum Laude; and Nicholas Michael Keck, Cum Laude, Continental; Zachary Brown, Summa Cum Laude; John B. Burns, Brad Camp, Miranda Decatur, Summa Cum Laude; Stephanie Ann Esquibel, Elias Jimenez Jr., Magna Cum Laude; Melinda Kaye Lemon, Alyce Caulder Long, Cum Laude; Amber Mack, Benjamin Maynard, Kaitlyn Rebecca Rethmel, Magna Cum Laude; Sebastian Alexander Rue, Lauren Kaye Yovich, and Breanna Zipfel, Magna Cum Laude, Defiance; Sara Lynn Culler Hammon, Summa Cum Laude, Farmer; Andrew Robinson, Gahanna; Amber Moomey, Graytown; Jocelin Combs, Grelton; Jeremy Louis Verhoff, Kalida; Caitlin Janette Ashbaugh and Morgan Good, Lancaster; Waverly Annette Weaks, Liberty Center; Jeremy Martin, Lima; Bria Double, Lyons; Hayley L. Risher, Malvern; Brittany Pease, Magna Cum Laude, Marysville; Jordan Austin Drake, Summa Cum Laude, Maumee; Mason Joseph Roth and Susanna Stoepfel, Cum Laude, McComb; Lindsay Marie Kasmer, Summa Cum Laude; and Claire Nicole Turner, Summa Cum Laude, Medina; Makayla McAvoy, Mt. Gilead; Robert M. Eikenberry, Napoleon; Andrew D. Senecal, North Baltimore; Brianna Rae Rodriguez, Ottoville; Morgan Taylor Peel, Magna Cum Laude, Rockford; Randy James Albers, Magna Cum Laude, St. Henry; Jordan Michel, St. Marys; Elizabeth Ann Pienoski, Cum Laude, Sheffield Lake; Megan Jane Pleskovic, Strongsville; Benjamin Weber, Troy; Clayton Walker, Summa Cum Laude, Wadsworth; Ryan M. Kohlhofer, Walbridge; Jessica Bell, Magna Cum Laude, West Salem; Ashley Tompkins, Magna Cum Laude, West Unity; Allison Rowland, Westerville; Cody Maye, Woodville; Savannah Anne Cecile Marquez, Porterville, Calif.; Kristina Nelson, Wildwood, Ill.; Andrew Delagrange, Cum Laude, Auburn, Ind.; Nicole Olivia Baseley and Joseph Braden Perry, Cum Laude, Greenwood, Ind.; Jacob S. Rodriguez, Ligonier, Ind.; Emilee Miller, Portland, Ind.; Haley Colleen Walchle, Cum Laude, Urbana, Ind.; Gary R. Levengood, Beverly Hills, Fla.; Andrew Feldhaus, Lutz, Fla.; Courtney Lyn-Kew, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.; Jamario Belton and Cody Dale Lee, Magna Cum Laude, Tampa, Fla.; June Elizabeth Delgreco, Dearborn Heights, Mich.; Shaquille M. Smith, Flint, Mich.; Nicole Tank, Lincoln Park, Mich.; Katelyn Haydett, Magna Cum Laude, Saint Clair Shores, Mich.; Catelyn Nicole Fix, Waldron, Mich.; Caitlin Ehrenberg, Atwater, Minn.; Yewen Shao, Flushing, N.Y.; Sephra Wheeler, Albion, Pa.; JoNae Michelle Apps, Wild Rose, Wis.; Tawana Marquellia Foster, Cormack Aniffe Rhodes Lazarus, Cum Laude; and Oshin Olivia Walker, St. Mary, Jamaica.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Denise Doda and Casondra Elisia Lipp, Defiance; Ann Renee Little, Elida; Kathy L. Bahler, Napoleon; and Jade A. Graf, Oakwood.
Associate of Arts: Jill Barnd, Bryan; Zhane Brooks, Columbus; Jennifer McClain, Paulding; Harle Nichel Smith, St. Marys; and Mariah E. D. Armstrong and Stephanie Grochowski, Toledo.
Master of Arts in Education: Garrett Davis, Bowling Green; Brandon Tyler Eitniear, Marie Elizabeth Plassman, Robyn Rowland, and Krista Runk, Defiance; Felipe Romero, Hicksville; Nisa Clay, Lima; Bradley Joel Robinson, Mansfield; Kaitlyn E. Lentz, Miamisburg; Michelle D. Blank, Montpelier; Julie Ault, Oregon; Alexander David Uxley, Pickerington; Nathaniel Massie, West Unity; Kyle Augustitus, Willoughby;
Eric Michael Bergeron, Meriden, Conn.; Ryan James McCormack, Shelton, Conn.; Brandon Ramsey, Centerville, Ind.; Jessica Miller, Franklin, Ind.; Nicholas Michael Albertson, Greenwood, Ind.; Samantha N. Grove, New Boston, Mich.; Maria K. Theisen, Minneapolis, Minn.; Jesse T. Urquhart, Erial, N.J.; Elaine Margaret Hasek, Valencia, Pa.; Ellen Marie Taylor, Weslaco, Texas; and Brian James Thill, Webster, Wis.
Master of Business Administration: Alyssa Turton, Amherst; Cord Speelman, Bryan; Asia Williams, Canton; Megan Rae Puehler and Chelsey Ryan-Skiver, Defiance; Hannah Elena Ruth Benzing, Findlay; Adam Grillot, Houston; Christina Seidenstricker, London; Chelsea Anne Louise Ludeman, Napoleon; Harvey David Hyman, Paulding; Dominque Rene Hardin, Piqua; Jacob D. Arnold, Stow; and Troy Secrest, Toledo;
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
