PLAINVIEW, TX — Fifty-nine graduates participated Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in commencement ceremonies held on Wayland Baptist University’s main campus in Plainview, Texas.
Graduates received diplomas during the ceremony held at 2 p.m., in Hutcherson Center. Dr. Cindy McClenagan, Vice president for Academic Affairs, presented the candidates for degrees to Dr. Donna Hedgepath, President, who conferred degrees. She was assisted by Mark Jones, chair of Wayland’s Board of Trustees.
Graduates included two students receiving doctoral degrees, 19 students receiving master’s degrees, 37 students receiving bachelor’s degrees, and one student receiving an associate’s degree. There were 46 graduates from Texas, including eighth from Plainview. Among the graduates were nine students from seven other states. There were five international students among the candidates for graduation.
Dr. Hedgepath gave the President’s Charge. Mia Raquel Arceneaux, a graduating senior from Rockwall, gave the student address, and Ashlyn Claire Holmes, a graduating senior from Amarillo, read Proverbs 3:5-6 from the Bible. An invocation was brought by Laston James Bigham, a graduating senior from Lubbock, and Madison Taylor Casanova, a graduating senior from Brownfield, gave the benediction. Clarissa Rejino, a graduating senior from Muleshoe, led the Pledge to the United State flag, and Alex Chad Clements, a graduating senior from Borger, led the Pledge to the Christian flag.
For a limited time, livestream coverage of the ceremony is available at
Here is a list of the graduates by degree, including their major, and hometown:
Doctor of Management — David Ray Caceres, San Antonio; and James Ray Scifres, Sundown.
Master of Arts in Counseling — Shayla Ranae Ross Bruce, Clinical Counseling/School Counseling, Lubbock; Ericka Janelle Espinosa, Clinical Counseling, Plainview; Connie K. Jones, Clinical Counseling, Kermit; and Kayleigh E. McCaslin, Clinical Counseling, San Antonio, TX.
Master of Arts in Criminal Justice — Raquel Sevilla, Pleasanton.
Master of Arts in English — Mary T. Karuri, Eldoret, Kenya.
Master of Arts in Human Services — Thomas F. Fo’ilefutu, Buckeye, AZ.
Master of Arts in Management — Michael Dewayne Trotter, Organization Management, Pensacola, FL.
Master of Business Administration — Glynn Mathis Boydston III, Human Resource Management, Hale Center; Flor Cristina Pantoja Cruz, Accounting, Plainview; Genesis Polette Garcia-Recinos, Accounting, Amarillo; Bradley Henderson, Human Resource Management, Lockney; Joao Pedro Vieira de Oliveira Souza, General Business, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Gabriel Efrain Aplicano Tito, General Business, Rowlett; and Frank Troy Zellers, General Business, Chugiak, AK.
Master of Divinity — Lauren Ashton Peel, Levelland.
Master of Education — Reginald Oswald Blow, Jr., Educational Administration, Wichita Falls.
Master of Public Administration — Tyler Steven Findley , Homeland Security/Emergency
Management, Grapevine; and Miasha Gabrielle Pride, Homeland Security/Emergency
Management, Odessa.
Bachelor of Applied Science — Donta Lanette Davis, Applied Science, Lufkin; Kimberly Davis, Criminal Justice Administration, New Boston; Conner Thomas Dipprey, Management, Shallowater; Samuel De Jesus Fabian, Sports Management, Santiago, Dominican Republic; Keagen Jace Grantham, Management, Lubbock; Maury Danielle Harp, Human Services, Plainview; Theodore Robert Manke III, Management, Ramona, OK; Noe J. Marquez, Criminal Justice Administration, Plainview; and Amanda Kay Weaver, Business Administration, Roby.
Bachelor of Arts — Madison Taylor Casanova, English, Brownfield; Zeah Clark, Art, Plainview; Sean D. Edlin, English, Spokane, WA; Alli R. Ferguson, Graphic Design, Lubbock; Ashlyn Claire Holmes, Art, Amarillo; JoNiesha Kennedy, Political Science, Shreveport, LA; Gabriel Moblicci, Criminal Justice Administration, Miami, FL; and Megan Rae Perez, History, Plainview.
Bachelor of Business Administration — Ryan C. Barnett, Management/Marketing; Amarillo; Jasiah Azur Barron, Management/Marketing, McKinney; Laston James Bigham, Management/Marketing, Lubbock; Jaylee Denise Judd, Management/Marketing; Logan, NM; Alyssa Sierra Vasquez, Management/Marketing, Andrews; and Michael Zaccardo, Business Administration, Lubbock.
Bachelor of Science — Mia Raquel Arceneaux, Computer Science, Rockwall; Sadie Elizabeth Argueta, Psychology, Plainview; Avery James Braun, Psychology, Houston; Oliver K. Brown, Exercise & Sport Science, Leicester, England; Alex Chad Clements, Fitness Management, Borger; Bessy Nohemy Díaz Gómez, Exercise & Sport Science, Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Sarah Beth Lane, Criminal Justice Administration, Childress; Christian M. Mendez, Psychology, Hereford, Zack Lee Pena, History, Lubbock; Bryan S. Ponder, Exercise & Sport Science, Wichita Falls; Clarissa Rejino, Exercise & Sport Science Education, Muleshoe; and Garrett A. Schmidt, Fitness Management, Hobbs, NM.
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with Honors — Sarah Elizabeth Manchee Chadwick, Elementary Education/Christian Ministry, Amarillo, TX.
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies — Alexis Autumn Shedd, Elementary Education, Plainview.
Associate of Applied Science — Andrea Nieto Varela, Human Services, Wichita Falls.
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