126th Defiance College Commencement Ceremonies held Sunday

May 6, 2013

 

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College held its 126th commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 5.

Nearly two hundred graduates were awarded diplomas during the 12 noon event. The College also presented its highest honor, the Pilgrim Medal, to local attorney and board of trustee member John Weaner, Defiance, and graduating senior Emma Starks, Fort Wayne, Ind. Endowed by the late Edward Arnos, a former Defiance College trustee, 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.

Highest ranking graduate Leslieann Wheeler delivered the senior address, and the commencement address was given by global explorer Chris Bashinelli, host and producer of the television program “Bridge the Gap.”

Following are the 2013 DC graduates:
Bachelor of Arts: Summa Cum Laude - Sue Ann Mahnke, Napoleon; Hannah Harshman, Ohio City; Alex Schomaeker, Ottawa; Amanda Shindeldecker, Rockford; Magna Cum Laude - Tiffany Finkenbiner, Defiance; Mary Borer, Fayette; Jessica Allen, Napoleon; Nicole Gross, Paulding; Richard Shindeldecker, Rockford; Ian Rollison, Lake Ariel, Pa.; Cum Laude - Kenneth Kessler, Canal Winchester; James Buari, Columbus; Angela Eutsler, Defiance; Addie Henricks and Brittany Michaels, Edgerton; Emilee Johnson, Ney; Jessica Carnahan, Oakwood; Oralia Bradford, Stryker; Kelly Beard, Waterville.

Also: William Sigg, Archbold; Nicholas Welling and Carrie Williams, Bowling Green; Anestazia Brace and Tiffany Sickel, Bryan; Eric Lause, Custar; Elizabeth Alexander, William Burt, Stephen Leskow, Thomas Postema, Angela Powell, Logan Wolfrum, and Billie Wolpert, Defiance; Katherine Myers, Delphos; Joseph Sims, Edgerton; Erica Noggle, Haviland; Danielle Smith, Holgate; Patrick Hartman, Holland; Airrin Perruchon, Monroeville; Rhoda Gambler, Montpelier; Michael Armstrong, Kendall Dunbar, Kayla Mengerink, and Lindsay Zwiebel, Napoleon; Karen Bergman, Ney; Seth Robinson, Oakwood; Nathan Goebel, Stryker; Issac Wilkins, West Liberty; Hunter Robertson, Howell, Mich.; Samantha Stevens, Mattawan, Mich.; Jon Carrabino, Monroe, Mich.

Bachelor of Science: Summa Cum Laude - Leslieann Wheeler, Montpelier; Magna Cum Laude - Robyn Corron, Bryan; Megan Byrne, Kimberly Comden, Crystal Feeney, Bryn Lehman, Rachel Rosebrock, Jesse Schoch and Amanda Willitzer, Defiance; Megan Keil, Holiday City; Megan Lamberson, Montpelier; Phoenix Golnick, Oak Harbor; Lindsay McDaniel, Powell; Katie Heitkamp, St Marys; Blake Ruffer, Stryker; Cum Laude - Ryan Owens, Cincinnati; Janelle Doenges, Continental; Dennis Clemens and Sean Coressel, Defiance; Kyle Tietje, Deshler; Tyler Thomas, Holgate; Aubrie Ridinger, Lagrange; Andrew Kibler, La Rue; Robert Searfoss, Miller City; Daniel Nafziger, Napoleon; Anna Kusz, Swanton.

Also: Taylor Smoot, Akron; Deon Daugherty and Hayden Krick, Antwerp; Christina Crossgrove and Tabitha Mowel, Archbold; Brittany Stuper, Ashtabula; Rachael Lange, Berea; Gloria Basinger, Bluffton; Matthew Forry, Bowling Green; Allie Beck, Bryan; Hannah Davis, Bucyrus; Taylor Tuttle, Canton; Gregg Pickett, Cincinnati; Renae Sabo, Creston; Sean Lightfoot, Dayton; Darcy Breier, Lori Bryant, Nora Dale, Nicole Grim, Laressa McCurdy, Shelly Moore and Stanley Strausbaugh, Defiance; Autum Shindorf, Delta; Brittany Michaels, Edgerton; Kayla Knippen, Fort Jennings; Steven Strahm, Fostoria; Jasmine Stevenson, Hicksville; Ashley Brown, Leipsic; Jessica Ray, Liberty Center; Brittany Meyer and Aaron Patterson, Lima; Courtney Stevens, Mansfield; Mason Foulk, Marion; Michael Skiver, Milan; Jennifer Vogel, Montpelier; Riann Hersh and Amber Reed, Napoleon; Dale Ladd, Oakwood; Amanda Notley, Oberlin; Andrea Vorst, Ohioville; Alec Pribulsky, Painesville; Michael Pigoni, Parma; Zachary Stallkamp, Paulding; Jennifer JoHantgen, Pioneer; Seth Kimberlin, Plymouth; Bradley Sealey, Prospect; Alisha Kazlausky, Reynoldsburg; Erika DeBos, Rootstown; Brittany Wildman, Springfield; Jacob Taylor, St. Mary’s; Jasmine Petty, Stryker; Cheryl Locker, Toledo; Brock Bell and Tammy Methot, Van Wert; Jonathan Murphy, Versailles; John McEvoy, Wapakoneta; Jacki Volkman and Jordan Weber, Wauseon; Kyle Keegan, Waynesville; Alexander Goecke, Xenia; Charles Gardner, Anthem, Ariz.; Nicholas Goins, Anderson, Ind.; Aaron Choice, Mallory Meyer and Emma Starks, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Clinton Hoskins, Burlington, Ky.; Bryce Baker, Acton, Mass.; Bennie Woods III, Benton Harbor, Mich.; Meghan Hinds, Portland, Mich.; Sean Mukhtar, Shelby Township, Mich.; Joshua Fellows, Waldron, Mich.; Andrew Habecker, Pittsford, N.Y.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Jessica Eis, Defiance; Veronica Burkhart, Montpelier; Amber Borstelman and Jenell Westhoven, Napoleon; Ryan Hardman, Sherwood.

Master of Business Administration: Kasey Doehrmann, Archbold; Adam Collins and Mattea St. John, Bryan; Jenna Deskins, Cincinnati; Laurie Burke and Ralph Miller, Defiance; Sara Brown, Hicksville; Megan Stewart, Maumee; Angelia Fahy, Napoleon; Andrew White, Paulding; Nicole Lovins, Pettisville; Jodi Bostelman, Wauseon; Charlene Williams, Islington, St. Mary, Jamaica; Krista Hansen, Arlington, Wash.; Robert Hamman, Mentone, Ind.; Ashton Judis, Livonia, Mich. Master of Arts in Education: Nickolaus Sales, Barberton; Kelly Coble, Cloverdale; Brandon Ripke, Defiance; Julee Bayliss, Sherwood; Cary Ossiff, Allen Park, Mich.; Allyson Bales, New Berlin, Wis.

Associate of Arts: Nittaya Major, Antwerp; Amy Campbell, Grover Hill; Jennie Golden and Brian McDowell, Defiance; Steven Strahm, Fostoria.

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.