Briar Cliff Announces 2021 Commencement Graduates
May 8, 2021
Briar Cliff University held its 90th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 8 at the Tyson Events Center. The ceremony honored the University’s 2021 candidates for undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees, including the first graduating cohort of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners program.
Nearly 220 candidates received their degrees.
Candidates for Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree:
Tope Anthony Adeyomola, Fort Worth, Texas; Joy Oriaku Ichie, Frisco, Texas; Timothy Nzomo Kimuyu, Mansfield, Texas; Pauline Chidiebere Odili, Houston, Texas; Oluyemi Monisola Shorunke, Dallas, Texas; Abimbola Hilda Uwoghiren, Fort Worth, Texas
Candidates for Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree:
Jonathan Alford, Naper, Nebraska; Logan Anderson, Clear Lake, Iowa ; Margaret Andriano, Ankeny, Iowa; Cole Matthew Arnett, Hampton, Nebraska; Sloane Marie Chapman, Springfield, Illinois; Julia Rachelle Cratty, Petaluma, California; Jordan A. Cumbo, Pittston, Pennsylvania; Christopher J. Feldman, Renville, Minnesota; Lindsey Groskreutz, Spring Valley, California; Derick Hass, Wisner, Nebraska; Hannah Grace Heacox, Stillwater, Minnesota; Alec Hoffman, Cascade, Iowa; Carly Ince, Balsam Lake, Wisconsin; Brett Juhl, North Bend, Nebraska; Kayleen Lahoud, Superior, Wisconsin; Jamie Mae Larsen, Wahoo, Nebraska; Brady William Meyer, Sumner, Iowa; Mark David Milbrandt, Buffalo Center, Iowa; Amanda Cathrin Mogensen, Andover, Minnesota; Tyler Austin Pahl, Milbank, South Dakota; Cassidy Pape, Pisgah, Iowa; Seth Thomas Roberg, Grand Island, Nebraska; Dana Catherine Rohrs, Sioux City, Iowa; Christian Carl Sanders, Bakersfield, California; Jaclyn Roe Scanlan, East Grand Forks, Minnesota; Riley Kay Schneekloth, Jackson, Minnesota; Ryan Samuel Schneider, Ceresco, Nebraska; Kevin Allen Schnitz, Aurora, Illinois; Mitchell Alexander St. Clair, Auburn, Washington; Michaela Strathman, Randolph, Nebraska; Cameron Jacob Thomas, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Candidates for Master of Health Administration Degree:
Camilla Anne Barajas, Sioux City, Iowa; Heidi Marie Lower, Farley, Iowa; Cynthia Luna, North Sioux City, South Dakota
Candidates for Master of Arts in Management Degree:
Kaila Antisdel, Anita, Iowa; Kye Jamie Peters Edwards, Brighton, England; Erich Francis Erdman, Forest City, Iowa; Ryan C. Francis, Pocahontas, Iowa; Kysa Jo Hagemann, Mapleton, Iowa; Bailee N. Jernberg, Bronson, Iowa; Haley Clare Makela, Atlantic Mine, Michigan; Colin O’Shea, Baltimore, Maryland; Katie Alicia Salsman, Los Angeles, California; Olivia Sears, Bloomington, Indiana
Candidates for Master of Science in Nursing Degree:
Kelsey Bauer, Fordyce, Nebraska; Toni Malia Beck Van Dusen, Na’alehu, Hawaii; Taylor N. Beisch, Little Rock, Iowa; Jane Therese Davidson, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; April Renae De Wit, Rock Rapids, Iowa; Maegan Drummond, Council Bluffs, Iowa; Michael Espinosa, Miami, Florida; Kayla Marie Folsom, Hornick, Iowa; Heather M. Glasser, Hospers, Iowa; Dillon Hansen, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Sarah Hietbrink, Sioux Center, Iowa; Rebecca L. Keith, Lawton, Iowa; Brooke Marie Lorenzen, Council Bluffs, Iowa; Ann M. Mojeiko, Clinton, Iowa; Amy L. Peirce, Sioux City, Iowa; Jessica Brooke Phillips, Estherville, Iowa; McInally Piette, Denver, Colorado; Jenny Susan Ruckdaschel, Lennox, South Dakota; Marissia Kae Schaefer, Blue Earth, Minnesota; Antoinette Kathleen Schoonover, Rockwell City, Iowa; Kristine Ranae Shaffer, Sibley, Iowa; Audia Tanui, Cincinnati, Ohio; Angela Marie Thill, Camdenton, Missouri; Daniel James Touney, Fort Dodge, Iowa; Carla Lee Uhl, Ponca, Nebraska; Cassidy Ann – Louise Walker, Sloan, Iowa
Candidates for Post Masters Certificate in Nursing
Jennifer Franzwa, North Liberty, Iowa; Dr. Angela McGregor DNP, Fort Dodge, Iowa; Megan Ashley Mwangi, Sigourney, Iowa; Kimberly Fleming, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Tammy Jo Top, Hartford, South Dakota
Candidates for Bachelor of Arts Degree:
Trevor Adler, Spring Hill, Florida, Business Administration; Ana Mireya Jimenez Alcala, Sioux City, Iowa, Psychology; Caley Barney, Sioux City, Iowa, Business Administration; Heather Lynne Boden, Sioux City, Iowa, Behavior Analysis, Psychology; Braedon Spencer Clopton, Newburgh, Indiana, Interdisciplinary, Education, Psychology; Diontre’ Collins – Jones, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Psychology; Gerardo Colón Vilchis, Toluca, Mexico, Business Administration; Marie E. Comstock, Sioux City, IA, K – 12 Education, Art; Viridiana Curiel, Sioux City, Iowa, History, Secondary Education; Molly Diekmann, Estherville, Iowa, Psychology, Cum laude; Omar Dyles, Seattle, Washington, Business Administration; Brittany Evanger, Lake Stevens, Washington, Art, English, Secondary Education, Magna cum laude; Brandon Sofeni – Fulu Faatalale, Antioch, California, Criminal Justice; Michael Famurewa, London, England, Graphic Design; Leandro Guilherme Rodrigues de Sa Barreto Faria, Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil, Business Administration, Magna cum laude; Gilma Garcia, Sioux City, Iowa, Accounting; Michael Green, Granite Falls, Washington, Sports Management; Brittney Greiner, Sioux City, Iowa, English, Cum laude; Katherine Grice, Sioux City, Iowa, Criminal Justice, Cum laude; Ashley Abigail Gutierrez, Sioux City, Iowa, Psychology; Ryan Matthew Harrel, Omaha, Nebraska, History, Secondary Education, Summa cum laude; Rachele Heaton, Papillion, Nebraska, Psychology, Magna cum laude; Aedan Hickey, Ida Grove, Iowa, Accounting, Business Administration, Summa cum laude; Ashley Rae Hohenstein, Dakota City, Nebraska, Elementary Education, Cum laude; James House, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Psychology, Behavioral Analysis, Magna cum laude; Adriana Huerta, South Gate, California, Interdisciplinary, Psychology, Social Work; Brianna Nechelle Hunter, Misawa, Japan, Elementary Education; Gisselle Jimenez, Long Beach, California, Psychology; Helaina Johnson, Abingdon, Illinois, Criminology; Wil P. Johnson, Harrisburg, South Dakota, Elementary Education; Julianne Ryan Knowles, Ventura, California, Digital Communication, Graphic Communication; Alexander Kotelawala, London, England, Accounting, Business Administration, Magna cum laude; Ryan Jaylen Nikolai Kotey, San Bernardino, California, Psychology; Andrew James Lefler, Lawton, Iowa, Sports Management; Joao Lima, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Business Administration; Abbygail Lint, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Elementary Education; Katherine Logan, Sioux City, Iowa, Music, Business Administration; Danielle Accioly Lucchesi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Administration, International Business, Summa cum laude; Andrew Douglas Meister, Algona, Iowa, Elementary Education; Layne Miller, Rock Valley, Iowa, Elementary Education; Aleida Alexa Moreno, Sioux City, Iowa, Psychology; Luz Maria Moreno, Sioux City, Iowa, Interdisciplinary, Psychology, Biology, Magna cum laude; Gabriel Maldonado Moretto, Porto Alegre, Brazil, Business Administration, Marketing; Alijah KaDeem Muhammad, Waterloo, Iowa, Interdisciplinary, Business Administration, Digital Communication; Madelyn Neumann, Kingsley, Iowa, Elementary Education, Magna cum laude; Rodrigo Simões Padilha de Oliveira, Porto Alegre, Brazil, Business Administration, International Business; Ariel G. Pokett, Sioux City, Iowa, Digital Communication; Hannah Elizabeth Rabayev, Sioux City, Iowa, Psychology; Luisa Dalyned Ramirez Huertas, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Accounting, Business Administration, International Business, Summa cum laude; Nicole Raner, Webb, Iowa, Elementary Education, Summa cum laude, Salutatorian; Caleb Rasmussen, Harlan, Iowa, Business Administration; Clayton Timothy Reis, Rolfe, Iowa, Criminal Justice; Flor Maria Suarez, Hawthorne, California, Psychology; Rebecca A. Thoms, Sioux City, Iowa, English, Secondary Education; Theresa Trudeau, Sioux City, Iowa, Business Administration, Magna cum laude; Michael Valadez, Sioux City, Iowa, History; Harlee Vivian Kate Wagoner, Holstein, Iowa, Elementary Education, Magna cum laude; Peyton Walker, Eddyville, Iowa, Elementary Education; Megan A. Wilson, Lawton, Iowa, Psychology; Mariah Rae Wurth, Le Mars, Iowa, Elementary Education; Andréa Zorich, Independence, Missouri, Music
Candidates for Bachelor of Science Degree:
Tiffany Rose Braun, Boone, Iowa, Biology, Psychology, Magna cum laude; Ashley Brown, Oakdale, California, Medical Laboratory Science; Grace Ann Bybee, Omaha, Nebraska, Biochemistry, Cum laude; Angelica Ruby Campa, Firebaugh, California, Human Performance, Magna cum laude; Federico Acosta Casas, Bogotá, Columbia, Computer Science; Terry Do, Sioux City, Iowa, Chemistry; Morgan Kaye Erdman, Forest City, Iowa, Environmental Science, Summa cum laude, Valedictorian; Ethan W. Freidel, Tea, South Dakota, Human Performance; Osvaldo Guerrero, San Roque De Montes, Mexico, Human Performance; Ashlea Elizabeth Haag, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, Radiologic Technology; Faith Harvey, Lincoln, Nebraska, Biochemistry, Magna cum laude; Houston C. Hawkins, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Biology; Marcus Carl Horwood, Chesham, England, Exercise Physiology, Human Performance; Joseph A. Hoyt, Kansas City, Missouri, Environmental Science, Art, Magna cum laude; Sarah Dawn Lammers, Hartington, Nebraska, Environmental Science, English, Summa cum laude; Erin Langel, Manning, Iowa, Radiologic Technology; Jose Manuel Mendoza Lozano, South Sioux City, Nebraska, Chemistry, Magna cum laude; Sierra Nicole Muckey, Sioux City, Iowa, Biology; Mariana Ocegueda, Fresno, California, Biology, Cum laude; Megan Kristine O’Gara, Jackson, Nebraska, Biology, Summa cum laude; Christopher Kenneth Paulsen, Raymond, Iowa, Environmental Science, Criminology; Alexis Ramos, Rifle, Colorado, Biology, Kinesiology and Human Performance; Joseph Rosas Jr., Varina, Iowa, Radiologic Technology; Adelina E. Salais, South Sioux City, Nebraska, Radiologic Technology; Luis Paulo Sartor, Sananduva, Brazil, Exercise Physiology, Human Performance; Gabrielle Schweigert, Sioux City, Iowa, Radiologic Technology; Bernice Uwase Semana, Kigali, Rwanda, Biochemistry; Megan L. Simoni, Sioux City, Iowa, Environmental Science, Biology; Brady Van Dusen, Sioux City, Iowa, Health Science; Matthew Thomas Wilke, Florissant, Missouri, Biology, Secondary Education
Candidates for Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree:
JoAnna Anderson, Cherokee, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Laura Marie Ayers, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Kirstin Paige Barringer, Sioux City, Iowa; Anna Carolyn Betz, Sioux City, Iowa, Magna cum laude; Logan Elizabeth Ehlers, Shenandoah, Iowa; Yesenia Ford, Muscatine, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Jessica Ryan Fitzmaurice, Whiting, Iowa; Sandra Lizett Garcia, Sioux City, Iowa, Cum laude; Sarah Ghany – Randhawa, Storm Lake, Iowa; Irania Gutierrez, Sioux City, Iowa; Paityn Karen Hagberg, Cherokee, Iowa; Grace Hanno, Sioux City, Iowa; Laura Elise Harper, Fresno, California, Magna cum laude; Ann Hedlund, Sioux City, Iowa, Cum laude; Sandra Heffron, Glenwood, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Dax J. Johannsen, Sutherland, Iowa; Catherine Elizabeth Leonard, Atlantic, Iowa; Tammy Truong Nguyen, Sioux City, Iowa; Immaculate K. Omosa, Indianapolis, Indiana, Cum laude; Alyson R. Peirce, Merrill, Iowa, Cum laude; Amy Marie Petersen, Estherville, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Tamra M. Rawson, Sioux City, Iowa; Emily M. Riha, Omaha, Nebraska; Juliana R. Roberts, Ames, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Rebekah Marie Rose, Denison, Iowa, Cum laude; Guadalupe Ruelas, Sioux City, Iowa; Hannah Marie Schaeffer, Fort Dodge, Iowa; Amos Seka, Bloomington, Minnesota; Amy Skov, Le Mars, Iowa; Mark Snorton, Hammond, Indiana; Brittany Sarah Stampe, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; Berenice Topete Andrade, Sioux City, Iowa; Spencer D. Vogel, Sebastopol, California
Candidates for Bachelor of Social Work Degree:
Megan Leigh Buckholtz, Sioux City, Iowa; Ivan Kamatuoran R. Carnice, Hayward, California, Summa cum laude; Kristina Curtis, Ankeny, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Deborah M. Dundee, Clarence, Iowa, Cum laude; Jeena Nachase Leverette, Leakesville, Mississippi; Sister Tot Mai, Vietnam, Magna cum laude; Joseph Patrick Manning, Sioux City, Iowa, Magna cum laude; Krystle McCree – Jenkinson, Garfield, New Jersey; Cody Lynn Morey, Sioux City, Iowa; Joseph Anthony Ogo, Antioch, California; Ariel Alaina Sanders, Moville, Iowa, Summa cum laude; Aliya Savage, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Magna cum laude; Teresa Schulte, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Summa cum laude; Ashley Yeske, Worthington, Minnesota
Honors Criteria and Recognition
Summa cum laude means “with highest honor.” Magna cum laude means “with great honor.” Cum laude means “with honor.”
Students graduating summa cum laude have a cumulative GPA of 3.90 to 4.00. Students graduating magna cum laude have a cumulative GPA of 3.80 to 3.89. Students graduating cum laude have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 to 3.79.