Briar Cliff University Hosts 93rd Commencement Ceremony

(Sioux City, Iowa – May 11, 2024) Briar Cliff University hosted its 93rd commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11 at the Sioux City Orpheum. The ceremony honored the University’s 2024 candidates for undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees. 

“Through the last four years, you never expected this time to come. Looking back at my experience at BCU I am thankful for the constant support of administration, professors, coaches, and the lifelong friends I have made here,” said Student Body President Payton Hilts, “Not only did I gain an essential education, but I have also gained lifelong skills to make me a better person moving forward.” 

The class of 2024 included 206 candidates.  

"As a 1969 Briar Cliff alumnus, former Trustee and Board Chair, and lifelong supporter of the University, I have embraced the liberal arts and Catholic Franciscan teachings I received 55 years ago," said Interim President Steve Freeman, "They ground me and motivate me in all that I do. Briar Cliff University’s mission is focused on education, but you will also walk away today as a better person."

Candidates for Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree  

Jill Connell, Charles City, IA; Ogechi Ekeke, Mansfield, TX; Rosemond Ijioma, Little Elm, TX; Eva Ogbuikiri, Bowie, MD; 

Candidates for Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree 

Alexis Albert, San Luis, CO; Emma Baker, Steen, MN; Isaac Beitz, Mingo, IA; Sidney Blackburn, Waterville, KS; Taylor Donner, Emerson, NE; Megan Driesen, George, IA; Harley Forry, Garner, IA; Jensen Froehlich, Sioux City, IA; Sydney Green, Lincoln, NE; Taylor Heits, Rulo, NE; Alex Lagrutta, Exeter, CA; Kevin Line, Tokyo, Japan; Leticia Lopez, Bellevue, NE; Leslie Lowe, Brookings, SD; Kyra Maguire, Wymore, NE;  Keali Mari, Jackson, NE; Philip Newton, Clinton, IA; Alex Nordstrom, Dell Rapids, SD; Thomas O’Connor, Colorado Springs, CO; McKenzie Penne, Farmington AR; Adam Schmiesing, Mankato, MN; Holli Seger, Saint Jacob, IL; Aiko Sekino, Morton Grove, IL; Nicholas Simpson, Fort Dodge, IA; Samantha Wyman, Silver Creek, NE.

Candidates for Master in Health Care Administration 

Lacey Kern, LeMars, IA; Amanda Stevens, Crystal NM; Victor Sanabria Amaya, Omaha, NE; Payton Slaughter, Cherokee, IA; Mark Tyler, Bensalem, PA.

Candidates for Master of Arts in Management Degree  

Tyra Blue, Omaha, NE; Zach Buick, Sacramento, CA; Marc Coleman, Darlington, England; Cristal Delatorre, South Sioux City, NE; Devon Farrell, Saskatoon, Canada; Suzanne Fischer, Sioux City, IA; Patrick Gassant Jr., Lawrenceville, GA; Taylor Hill, Las Vegas, NV; Keaton Mork, Storm Lake, IA; Matthew Montgomery, Hoskins, NE; Andrea Pérez Ruiz, Toluca, Mexico; Ryan Ross, Sioux City, IA; Melissa Topete, Sioux City, IA; Kade Walter; Ankeny, IA; CaRon Watson, Tulsa, OK; Peyton Wingert, Dakota Dunes, SD; Sophia Rodriguez Hoces, Fort Dodge, IA; Jennifer Shaw, Bettendorf, IA; Courtney Studer, Sioux Falls, SD.

Candidates for Master of Science in Nursing Degree  

JoAnna Anderson, Cherokee, IA; Kara Barnes, Cedar Rapids, IA; Sandra Garcia, Sioux City, IA; Beth Goetschius, Sioux City, IA; Haley Hohn, Pierre, SD; Rosemary Janes, Maple Grove, MN; Cortney Kahl, Mandan, ND; Elizabeth Kruse, LeMars, IA; Valeria Magana, Sioux City, IA; Krysta Prior, Yankton, SD; Mayra Rodriguez, Sioux CIty, IA; Amanda Stoner, Tiffin, IA; Cydney Trudeau, Watertown, SD; Alayna Underdahl, Abert Lea, MN; Shelli Van Roekel, Maurice, IA.

Candidates for Post Masters Certificate in Nursing 

Christopher Barnes, Galva, IA

Candidates for Bachelor of Arts Degree 

Yewordanos Abreha, Sioux City, IA; Andrew Arndorfer, Livermore, IA; Alyssa Bauer, Kersey, CO; John Bell, Morgan Hill, California; Jonathan Branner, Munich, Germany, Magna cum laude; Robert Breen, Sioux City, IA; Braxton Brockhaus, Crieghton, NE, Summa cum laude; Mason Collins, Ballyshannon, Ireland; Easton Cone, Badger, IA; Drake Coupland, Sioux City, IA; Daniela Cuevas, South Sioux City, NE, Summa cum laude; Paige Dagel, Sanborn, IA; Zakk Evers, Crooks, SD; Bri Flores, Sioux City, IA, Summa cum laude; Winston Gassant, Lawrenceville, GA; Fernanda Grajeda, LeMars, IA, Magna cum laude; Peyton Grant, Marshall, MN; Kobe Grell, Cherokee, IA; Emilia Greuniesen, Sloan, IA, Summa cum laude; Maximus Hawarden, Bakersfield, CA; Jamison Helmers, Milford, IA, Summa cum laude; Kage Helsinger, Pierce, NE; Matthew Hmielewski, Sioux Falls, SD; Emma Hutchinson, Bondurant, IA; Kwame Johnson, Bakersfield, CA; Tyler Kjose, Sioux City, IA; Katherine Kofmehl, Holstein, IA Summa cum laude; Coy Leytham, Council Bluffs, IA; David Lichtenberg, Sergeant Bluff, IA; Kylee Lukes-Negron, Jefferson, WI; Moises Lupercio, South Sioux City, NE, Summa cum laude; Lakey Martin, Waterloo, IA; Stephany Medina-Lopez, Sioux City, IA Summa cum laude; Walker Moore, Provo, UT; Ruben Munoz, Sioux City, IA, Magna cum laude; Juan Moreno, Sioux City, IA; Aaron Okoro, Bellflower, CA; Luis Padilla, Sioux City, IA; Jesus Pena, Sioux City, IA; Drew Peterson, Treynor, IA; Pluma Pross, Atlantic, IA; Caleb Sassman, Sergeant Bluff, IA, Summa cum laude; Isabel Sayler, Freeman, SD, Summa cum laude; Spencer Schorg, Remsen, IA; Jared Sitzmann, Sioux City, IA; Brian Sosa, Riverside, CA; Kyle St. Pierre, Goodyear, AZ; Matthew Stilwill, Des Moines, IA; Jack Ta, Sioux City, IA, Cum laude; Kailee Tucker, Akron, IA, Summa cum laude; Izabella Valdez, Moses Lake, WA, Summa cum laude; Olga Vasovic, Belgrade, Serbia, Summa cum laude; Davess Verdugo, La Habra Heights, CA; Sami Wasmund, Galena, IL, Summa cum laude; Lexi Weber, Danbury, IA, Magna cum laude; Trevor Welp, Sioux City, IA; Gemma White, Little Hampton, West Sussex, Summa cum laude; Kathrine Wight, Minneapolis, MN, Summa cum laude.

Candidates for Bachelor of Science Degree  

Victoria Andre, Vermillion, SD, Summa cum laude; Garrett Arment, Moville, IA; Christian Balmer, Everett, WA; Shrey Bhakta, Sibley, IA; Austin Brandt, Laurel, NE, Cum laude; Antonio Brown, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Eli Burns, Houston, TX; Cory Carignan, Arvada, CO; Cayce Carlson, Pierce, NE; Nelson Cone, Fort Dodge, IA; Jett Dennis, Hoffman Estates, IL; Tyrus Eischeid, Wayne, NE, Magna cum laude; Kyler Faust, LeMars, IA, Summa cum laude; Elizabeth Ferguson, Brighton, England; Alexis Gigaroa, Sioux City, IA, Cum laude; Leticia Heeman, São José dos Pinhais, Brazil; Alyssa Henderson, Harlan, IA, Cum laude; Tulsa Janish, Forestburg, SD; Grace Johanson, Flandreau, SD, Cum laude; Jaice Johnsen, Logan, IA, Cum laude; Morgan Jones, Annandale, MN, Magna cum laude; Loryn Kelley, Alma, AR, Cum laude; Desmond Landon, La Habra, CA; Tia Lisy, Onchan, Isle of Man; Juan Lugo, San Antonio, TX; Abbigale Miller, Dunlap, IA, Cum laude; Frankie Moreno, Sioux City, IA; Gabriel Naranjo; Clovis, CA; Angel Nava-Esparza, Heber, CA; Tommia Pakootas, Plummer, ID; Spencer Pick, Sioux City, IA, Summa cum laude; Jordan Pulliam, Tulsa, OK; Jaime Rowlands, Fareham, England, Cum laude; Adriana Sanchez Manzo, Sioux City, IA; Yenne Schepers, Houthalen-Helcheteren, Belgium, Summa cum laude; Hannah Shuttleworth, Bradford, West Yorkshire; Quinn Vesey, Indianola, IA.

Candidates for Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree  

Kelsey Abramo, Sioux City, IA; Kathryn Baker, Homer, NE, Cum laude; Tykeesha Beauchene, Sioux City, IA, Summa cum laude; Sarah Blatchford, Sioux City, IA; Michaela Bond, Algona, IA, Summa cum laude; Madison Burge, Sioux City, IA; Erika Coyne, Reno, NV; Josh Curry, Ponca, NE, Cum laude; Nicole Flores, Sioux City; Constance Gaddy, Sioux Falls, SD, Summa cum laude; Dallas Green, Henderson, NV; Stephanie Gross, Spencer, IA; Daniel Guda, Sioux Falls, SD; Lydia Hernandez, Sioux City, IA, Cum laude; Payton Hilts, Missouri Valley, IA; Ella Johnson, Spencer, IA; Nicole Johnson, Sergeant Bluff, Magna cum laude; Michaela Lange, Wynot, NE, Summa cum laude; Kirsten Martinez, Houston, TX; Renea Panzer, Merrill, IA; Veronica Pitzl, Harrisburg, SD; Chelsea De Jesus Ramirez Cruz, Sioux City, IA; Stefanie Smith, Rock Valley, IA; Chasity Soto, South Sioux City, NE, Cum laude; Dorothy Trierweiler, Sioux City, IA; Kebede Tura, Sioux City, IA, Magna cum laude; Ashley Van Essendelft, Sheldon, IA, Summa cum laude; Alexandra Vazquez, South Sioux City, NE; Cayla Vimr, Roseville, MN; 

Candidates for Bachelor of Social Work Degree 

Vanessa Arriaga Molina, Sioux City, IA; Heather Bellows, Sioux City, IA; Kieya Belmont, Pueblo, CO; Aubrey Chichurka, Georgetown, TX, Cum laude; Stephanie Dubois-Polk, Grants Pass, OR; Jill Hanner, Hornick, IA, Summa cum laude, Grace Huft, Sioux Falls, SD; Bailey Illg, Spencer, IA; Katherine Rice, Winnebago, NE; Jordan Rochester, Sioux City, IA; Coral Toben, Correctionville, IA.