128th Defiance College Commencement ceremony held Sunday

May 4, 2015

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College held its 128th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May3.

Two hundred and nineteen graduates were awarded diplomas during the 12 noon event. The College also presented its highest honor, the Pilgrim Medal, to graduating senior Alicia Kalik of South Lyon, Mich., and DC alumnus Thomas Blake, Sr., of Hamilton, Ind. 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 Marissa Bussard of Whitehall delivered the senior class address, and the commencement address was given by Laura Caldwell, distinguished scholar in residence at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she founded the Life After Innocence project.

Receiving diplomas were:

Bachelor of Arts: Kevin Arriola, New Lebanon; April Bailey, Fayette; Philip Balla, Rossford, summa cum laude; Daniel Bauta, Miami, Fla.; Christa Beery, Des Moines, Iowa; Clara Bergfeld, Wauseon; Toni-Ann Boyd, St. Mary, Jamaica, summa cum laude; Rebekah Boysel, Archbold; Jordan Brown, Bryan; Michelle Bulriss, Tempe, Ariz., magna cum laude; Colton Byers, Wauseon; Joel Cabrera, Wauseon; Robert Danko, Bryan; Scott Deken, Continental; Logan DeTray, Defiance; Christopher Donese, Kettering; Chelsea Ebersole, Bryan; Richard Engelhardt II, Springfield; Ian Fasnacht, Strongsville, magna cum laude; Marissa Ferry, Bryan; Courtney Fleck, Toledo; Meagan Freeman, Van Wert; Angela Funk, Bryan; Matthew Goodpaster, Kettering; Erin Grime, Defiance; Dylan Hanefeld, Continental, summa cum laude; Kelsey Rae Heck, Payne, cum laude; James Hodginson, Sydney, Australia;

Ryan Johnston, Defiance; Megan Klausing, Delphos, magna cum laude; Katherine Knisely, Fayette, summa cum laude; James March, Paulding; Cassandra Martin, Bryan; Debra Mastroni-Kenyon, Milford, Conn.; Taylor McCarthy, Bryan; Joel Menz, Three Rivers, Mich.; Randall Miller, Bryan; Brian Mircovich, Palm Beach, Fla.; Denzel Moore, Toledo; Luke Nicely, Ney; Jason Noaker, Napoleon; Beth North, Stryker; Carrie Onder, Defiance; Dorothy Pascol, Cleveland; Josiah Poletta, West Unity; Karrah Rath, Defiance, magna cum laude; Sean Reineck, Bellevue; Anne Reinhart, Paulding; Ashley Roon, Defiance, magna cum laude; Kristina Rosales, Archbold; Spencer Saunders, South Charleston; Eric Strickland II, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Abigail Taylor, Carmel, Ind., magna cum laude; Kent Tietje, Deshler, magna cum laude; Trevor Tracy, Defiance; Joseph Trzynka, Hicksville; Alyssa Turton, Amherst, cum laude; Brittany VanAuken, Farmer, cum laude; Megan Wertz, Defiance, summa cum laude; Gregory Whitacre, Archbold.

Bachelor of Science: Melina Alexander, Clio, Mich.; Brianna Anderson, Huntertown, Ind.; Joseph Bales, Napoleon; Philip Balla, Rossford, summa cum laude; Kalyssa Bauman, Ayersville; Lynn Beining, Ottoville; Chelsea Bell, Walbridge; Christine Gierosky Bernazzoli, Parma; Kelsey Bowling, Sidney, summa cum laude; Lindsay Bubnick, Vandalia; Tara Buehrer, Oakwood; Margaret Buhrer, Defiance; Ian Burkhart, Fremont, Ind.; Trevon Burrell, Pontiac, Mich.; Marissa Bussard, Whitehall, summa cum laude; Danielle Caryer, Hicksville, cum laude; Genelle Castro, Westerville, cum laude; Stephanie Coble, Continental; Haley Cohee, Russia; Deidra Coil, Bryan; Sadie Daeger, Defiance; Macy Davis-Ferrall, St. Marys; Rachel Davis, Urbana, summa cum laude; Joshua DeGroff, Stryker; Lauren Dicke, Lima; Jeremiah Dietrich, Bryan; Kelly Dopp, Napoleon, magna cum laude; Matthew Doroszko, South Bend, Ind.; Ryan Edelbrock, Delphos, cum laude;

Kayla Edie, Wauseon; Bernard Edwards, Detroit, Mich.; Tanner Engle, Harrod, cum laude; Brianna Ferguson, North Baltimore, cum laude; Megan Fields, Wauseon; Ashten Forde, Euclid; Sara Fowler, Swanton; Cheryl-Ann Francis, St. Mary, Jamaica, cum laude; Alex Frandsen, Frankfort, Ill.; Andrew Frizell, Smithville; Kaleb Gonzales, Stryker; Jose Gonzalez, Bronx, N.Y.; Aaron Grasing, Carmel, Calif.; Ericha Griep, Dayton; Katherine Grubbs, Zanesville; Rikki Gurule, Chandler, Ariz.; Tanya Harrison, Wauseon; Cali Hazel, Lancaster, magna cum laude; Caroline Hesterman, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Matthew Hogan, Defiance, magna cum laude; David Jacobs, Elmore, magna cum laude; Allison Jamiot, North Royalton; Alicia Kalik, South Lyon, Mich.; summa cum laude; Aubrey Kemerer, Hicksville, magna cum laude; Paige Kitchenmaster, Defiance, magna cum laude; Katherine Knoderer, Delphos; Daryl Ladd, Toledo; Stacey Lawton, Windsor; Malana Ledley, Kenton, cum laude;

Brooke Lime, Defiance; Robert Lipscomb, Climax, Mich.; Jacqueline Loock, Rochester Hills, Mich.; Bailey Marquez, Porterville, Calif.; Jessie Marsh, Wayne, magna cum laude; Anthony Meyer, Cecil; Jennifer Moriarty, Napoleon.; Curtis Morris, Kenton; Chelsie Moyer, Tipp city, cum laude; Madison Murphy, Worthington; Joel Musser, Center Line, Mich.; Dominique Neely, Shipshewana, Ind.; Ryan Nelson, Oregon, Ohio, cum laude; Jennifer Newsome, Defiance; Ariel Pfaff, Wauseon; Brittany Pittman, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Victoria Plummer, Perrysburg; Benjamin Price, Defiance; Galysa Ratterman, New Bloomington; Maegan Redick, Lima; Zachary Ridgway, Bryan; Lidia Ridinger, Grafton, magna cum laude; Bruce Ridley III, Bradenton, Fla.; Alison Rifenburgh, Bronson, Mich., magna cum laude;

David Rippetoe, Continental; Sean Roberts, Canal Winchester; Todd Roberts, Miami, Fla.; Andrew Robinson, Gahanna; Ryne Rogers, Richland, Mich.; Thomas Rowe, Whitehouse; Cory Rowe, Lima; Melissa Russell, St. Mary, Jamaica; Travis Schomaeker, Ottawa, summa cum laude; Brittany Shough, DeGraff, cum laude; Nicholas Siewert, Paulding; Josh Slayton, Fort Wayne, Ind., cum laude; Radek Smolik, Pardubice, Czech Republic; Jade Spangler, Evansport; Matt Staels, Harrison Township, Mich.; Miranda Steffes, Sherwood, cum laude; Katherine Stephens, Columbus Grove; Hurst Talbott, Columbus; Robert Tanya, New York, N.Y.; Garrett Teague, Webberville, Mich.; Dylan Textor, Howell, Mich.; Kayla Uscilowski, Maumee; Michael Vanderkolk, Bluffton, Ind., magna cum laude; Dylan Waggy, Upper Sandusky; Justin Walker, Oak Harbor; Emily Wallace, Delphos, cum laude; Sean Washington, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; Sreyroth Weaner, Defiance; Morgan Williamson, Sylvania; Sonny Windhorst, Plymouth, Ind.; Tara Wyatt, West Liberty, summa cum laude; Nikki Young, Van Wert; Megan Zachrich, Napoleon; and Paul Zore, Chardon.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Donna Badenhop, Napoleon; Sarah Bassitt, Wapakoneta; Jessica Brubaker, Napoleon; Daniel Durham, Elida; Kelli Wheaton, Brentwood, Tenn.; Karla Winner, St. Henry; and Edith Wuo, Liberia, West Africa.

Associate of Arts: Monica Armstrong, Napoleon; Nicholas Clippinger, Paulding; Mark Greathouse, Edgerton; Jeremy Martin, Lima; Beverly Michaels, Bridgeport, W.Va.; Madeline Morrow, Wakeman; Michala Ross, Bryan; George Tanner, Vermilion.

Master of Arts in Education: Bradley Balkema II, Roseville, Mich.; Piyawan Chapman, Roi Et, Thailand; Ryan Dafforn, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Chelsea Gaghan, Bryan; Brandon Hoke, Columbus; Robert Johnson III, Brimfield; Tramaine Jones, Indianapolis, Ind.; Chandler Levit, White Lake, Mich.; Sarah Luthy, Bryan; Rory Mannering, Walton, Ind.; Brooke McCartney, Salem; Kyleigh Meeker-Blad, Stryker; Kim Rethmel, Defiance; Andrew Routt, Cincinnati; Brad Shipman, Paulding; Stephanie Throne, West Unity; and Jennifer Walton, Defiance.

Master of Business Administration: Anastasha Brown, Fowler, Ind.; Robert Brown, Dublin; Alex Bonilla, Cleveland; Jay Chadwell, Georgetown; Ilana Goch, Canton; Micah Grime, Archbold; Aaron Hatem, Lancaster; Lisa Hudson, Defiance; Athena Miller, Wadsworth; Margaret Miller, Salem; Jeremy Otte, Defiance; Samantha Russell, St. Mary, Jamaica; Samantha Stevens, Mattawan, Mich.; and Jessica Tietje, Deshler.

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.