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Graduation Section

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Monday, May 11, 2015 • Graduation • College heights herald • WKUHERALD.com

MAY 11, 2015 • GRADUATION • WKUHERALD.COMPAGE 2

Argen�na Meghan Baumgartner Natalie Buller Ma�hew Lawson Shelby Rice Austria Rachel Brady Lindsey Byrd Seth Church Sarah Fox Kimberly Green Dominic Piedmonte Christen Profancik Rebekah Sledge Travis Spradlin Janet Taylor Ashley Tu� Australia Abigail Boyd Kevin Carey Victoria Conyers Kelsey Hagan Catherine Havel Kristopher Klausner Cale Middleton David Parks Alexis Query Zachary Van Zant Tara West Christopher Yates Ting�ng Zhao Bahamas Natasha Pa�erson Andrew Reeder Belgium Erin Burris Brenna Duncan Kimberly Green Laura Hazle� Chris�e Jewell Llewellyn Li�le Erin Napier Katelyn Pendley Madeline Phillips Taylor Reed Sandra Sayne Noel Shaw Anna Young Belize Ann Marie Adcock Anja Arthur Ellen Barringer Jacqueline Brown Cathy Carsen Margaret Greenwell Madison Hayden Kimberly Horan

Kyndall Hudson Alison Leino Kelly Levay Hayley Middleton Kaitlyn Murtagh Victoria Peters Courtney Shearon Emily Thomas Samantha Ulrich Ka�e Walker Kaylin Walker Claire Warren Lori Zahorodny Canada Caroline Culbreth Catherine Havel Michael McKay Christopher White Chile Taylor Berzins China Luke Brigance Alyna Bloecher Rebecca Center Joanna Chang Angela Cook Ryan Dillion Elizabeth Gribbins Shannon Janitch Ellyn Kerchenski Brandon Kerr Bailey Mack Amy Ni Tyler Prochazka Joseph Stone Elizabeth Whi�ers Costa Rica Amanda Belcher Gabrielle Canant Brandon Farmer Victoria Gilkison Ma�hew Lawson Gatlin Milam Kasandra Mitchell Benne� Peck Hannah Pennington Dylan Ruffra Jennifer Slaton Joseph Stone Daniel Thorn Cuba Lauren Day Ian Dowty Sarah Fox Amy Halligan Natalie Hayden Sarah Haywood

Katherine Jaggers Ka Wang Li Jude Zoeller Czech Republic Seth Church Michael Eichberger Ryan Reed D‘Arcy Revle� David Sizemore Janet Taylor Celia Whelan Chloe Williams Ecuador Michaela Ash Porshia Aus�n Danielle Berkshire Nicholas Christman Ashley Cleary Travis Combs Margaret Conway Bridge�e Davis Olga Durham Callie Franks Ma�hew Frazier Isaac Greenwell Loren Gross Crysta Hicks Brandon Holmes Kyle Howard Abbie Hutchison Kelsey Kaetzel Kasey Kinney Kasandra Mitchell Shelby Pedigo Lydia Richardson Stephanie Schaefer Mitchell Schooler Meredith Smith Jeremiah Stringer Wesley Trail Linly Turner Ellen Vice Rachael Walters England (UK) Faith Akhue�e-Oni Rachel Archer Nicole Armstrong Jessica Arnold Sarah Beach Hannah Bertram Laura Boone Alyssa Born Abigail Boyd Kimberly Bri� Catron Burde�e Erin Burris Kayleigh Coffey

Deanna Conner Angela Curran Whitney Davis Maxwell Dierken Brenna Duncan Riley Finwood Sarah Fox Ma�hew Frazier Chelsea Fromm Jennifer Gaiko Haley Garrison Kimberly Green Kathryn Greiner Caroline Guthrie Taylor Hartman Lauren Haynes Sarah Haywood Hayley Hilbert Katherine Hinton Rachel Humphries Katherine Jaggers Chris�e Jewell Eric Keeling Victoria Knodell Natalie Koppel Abigail Lewis William Linder Emily Li�le William Lyle Laura Mahaney Alyson Manley Ashlee Manley Grace McCullough Meghan McGuirk Ka�e Meek Samya Monem Bri�any Moster Erin Napier Breanna Nuckols Katherine Pasche�o Kelsey Peak Phillip Pearson Benne� Peck Katelyn Pendley Madeline Phillips Chris�na Porter Emily Po�er Ashley Presnell Jade Primicias Janie Prui� Neil Purcell Taylor Reed Yolanda Reid Shelby Rogers Spenser Sawyers Olivia Sharp Kaitlyn Snyder

Helen Spalding Kyle Stewart Catherine Stone Francis Taylor Allison Teta Cynthia Tope Hannah Vincent Jon Warren Anthony White Hannah Wilson Jude Zoeller France Ashley Avery Sydney Becke� Erin Burris Cindy Clemson Emma Collins Alma Combs April Cra� Janniqua Dawkins Ian Dowty Nefer��-Angela Dukes Brenna Duncan Brian Dunican Ian Dowty Dana Echert Kirby Fields Mary Glia�a Kimberly Green Hannah Grimes Ryan Guffy Katherine Halicks Alejandro Hernandez Aldo Torres Jara Chris�e Jewell Rebecca Kazi Evgenia Mauzy Kris�na Medero Erin Napier Jamaque Newberry Savannah Osbourn Katelyn Pendley Madeline Phillips Taylor Reed John Reynolds Ray Roberts Megan Smith Marissa Tompkins Kim Vickous Rachael Walters Jason Webb Germany Trent Brock Shayla Carter Evere� Cislo Margaret Conway

Jenna Hall Hayley Hilbert Taylor Hill Ma�hew Hunt Sarah Neal Mackenzie Perkins D‘Arcy Revle� David Sizemore Greece Larry Abney Tonya Bowers Michael Greer Jennifer Hail Natalie Hayden Rachel Teal Rebecca Thurman Erin Warren Hungary Seth Church Janet Taylor India Amy Givens Elisabeth Hackworth Ireland Faith Akhue�e-Oni Alex Burden Angela Curran Emily Po�s Sharon McCrary Kelsey Peak Joshua Ritchie Mary Walsh Israel Maryruth Drescher Italy Courtney Carter Rebecca Chartoff Ian Dowty Rebecca Farmer Stacey Forsythe Maggie Genardi Natalie Gilliam Kaitlyn Haws Holly Hayes Samantha Lynch Sarah McAllister Amanda Reynolds Meaghan Ritchie Megan Short Jonathan Somoza Ginny Steenbergen Jessica Story Candace Thompson Ainsley Wagoner Japan Kendra Kelley Chris�na Paige

Jordan Haley Edwards Elizabeth Gribbins Jonathon Wurth Kenya Brandon Farmer Ma�hew Frazier Nancy Jolly Kelsey Kaetzel Emily McIn�re Mackenzie Perkins Kaitlyn Snyder Brent Webb Malaysia Evgenia Mauzy Mexico Whitley Castro Jessica Cecil Caroline Culbreth Brandon Farmer Morgan Graham Ericka Hardin Kelly Levay Morocco Jessica Bertram Elizabeth Gribbins Wheeler Painter Netherlands Erin Asher Kevin Bielefeld Hunter Cullip Ashley Hadden Paige Harrison Laura Hazle� Taylor Helton Kris�nna Mason Walter Milam Sarah Travis Trinity Vannoy New Zealand Shannon Boone Panama Bethany Devore Peru Laura Goodwin Beverly Lewis Elizabeth McGrew Poland Seth Church Janet Taylor Russia Leah Turner Scotland (UK) Danielle Berkshire James Davis Samantha Dorsey Mary Kirkwood

Sharon McCrary Zachary Vincent Semester at Sea Chelsea Corne� Sarah Hagan Jennifer Hail Mitchell Hale Mackenzie Isenberg Michael McKay Jeffrey Walker Hayley Wilkins South Africa Amy Fehrenbach Haley Garrison Jinglin Li Sydney Jackson Laura Jones Natalie Koppel Chad McGarvie Emily McIn�re Mayme Van Meveren South Korea Rebecca Center Jinglin Li Jeffrey Walker Spain Caitlin Belcher Cynthia Block Chloe Brown Erin Burch Amy Calo Whitley Castro Brooklyn Choate Taylor Cobb Ricardo Cordova Julie Crone Caroline Culbreth Emily Cur�s Rachel Dake Mallory DePorter Ian Dowty Dorothy Edwards Emily Evanko Makenze Evans Jus�n Faircloth Katherine Fane Sarah Fox Carrie Beth Henry Chavez Hita Sarah Keene Isabelle Labarge Megan Lemily Jamie McDonough Allie Meador Destyn Miller Kate Mischel Kirsten Olson

Wheeler Painter Elizabeth Piper Ka�e Rankin Kiersten Richards Sarah Ri�er Emily Roach Tobi Schafer Hannah Schiller Brianna Sco� Kayla Smith Zachary Smith Kelsey Sympson Stephanie Terrell Hayley Wilkins Elizabeth Wirth Taiwan Bailey Mack Tanzania Trevor Davis Jasmon Brandi Harris Samantha Holmes Toppers at Sea Ellen Barringer Molly Keen Kris�n Nash Jody Owen Kiersten Richards Trinidad ShaNeeka Brewton Ian Dowty Desmond Hutchinson Michael Lewis Mariah Tibbs

MAY 11, 2015 • GRADUATION • WKUHERALD.COM PAGE 3

Dear Graduates:

Congratulations on completing your WKU degree. I am proud of each and ev-ery one of you. I hope that I, and our fac-ulty and staff, have served you well as you have pursued and completed your WKU course of study.

I look forward to seeing you at Com-mencement on May 16 and 17. There is

not a more special mo-ment for you, your fam-

ily, and friends than to walk across that red carpet and expe-rience the symbolic culmination of your

years of hard work. I hope you enjoy that

special moment as much as I will enjoy greeting you in Diddle Arena.

You are now joining over 100,000 WKU alumni, and your next chapter as a Hill-topper is about to begin. This chapter will be a lifelong love affair with a very spe-cial university that will be there for you as much in the future as it has been these last few years. Stay loyal, protect and de-fend your university, and keep that special WKU spirit at the center of your universe.

I am confident that we have prepared you well for your personal and profes-sional lives. Work hard, serve your fam-ily well, be engaged in your community, be a global citizen, and lead people to do things that they did not otherwise think was possible. That is what Hilltoppers do. Always know that as you bring distinc-tion to yourself and to those with whom you live, work, and play, you will also bring distinction to WKU. Thank you for continuing to strengthen your own name and our university’s strong reputation. We look forward to following your progress and counting you among our many suc-cessful alumni.

Congratulations! See you on Com-mencement weekend!

Go Toppers!

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WKU PRESIDENT GARY RANSDELLTABLE OF CONTENTS

SGA President says farewell

Commencement schedule

Herald news editor refl ectson time at newspaper, wku

the impact of beinga spirit master

Talisman managing editor oncoming out of your shell

page 5

page 6

page 10

page 12

page 14


CONGRATULATIONSto our graduating Library Student Assistants!

Emily AndersonKelsi Campbell Ashby Danielle DavenportKatie DeCoursey

Ling Hao LiuQi Liu

Christopher McConnellLyndsey Pender

Anna PettusCecia ReyesAyaz Sadal

Kameron Simmons

Kelli StormHieu Vo

Rachel WyattAnna Young


Is graduation really here al-ready? Knowing that this is the end of my journey on the Hill has brought a mixed bag of emotions: relief for classwork finally being over, excite-ment for the things to come, yet sorrow for knowing that this wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience is finally coming to an end.

It has been a joy, privi-lege and an honor to serve as the Student Body President and

Student Regent. It hasn’t always been easy, but I have tried my best to do what is right for stu-dents here on the Hill. I am al-most ready to pass the job on

to my successor, but not before I take the op-

portunity to provide some words of en-couragement to all students, graduating

or not.Graduating is a scary

time for all of us wheth-er we want to admit it or not. Some of us know exactly what

our plans are after graduation, whether that’s a job, graduate school or enlisting in the Armed Forces. Many of us, however, have yet to figure out exactly what we want to do when we grow up, and that’s fine!

Graduates, don’t feel like you are any less successful if you do not have it all figured out. Break out of the assumption that the path to success has to be straight and narrow. In reality, most of the time people have taken a jagged, crisscrossed, back-and-forth path to get to

where they are today. No expe-rience is a bad experience, so just seize whatever opportunity you can find until you figure out your own way to success.

For those who will be remain-ing on the Hill, be sure to savor every moment. Take every op-portunity that you can to get internship experience, volun-teer and be involved in clubs. On the other hand, ensure that you are not taking too many opportunities that you forget to leave time for your own per-sonal care.

Yes, college is first and fore-most about getting an edu-cation and job preparation, but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses every once and awhile. Go out to RedZone,

Waffle House or IHOP late atnight with your friends just be-cause. Go to the parade and BigRed’s Roar during Homecom-ing, even if you are not Greek.If you are lucky enough to get agood snow, sled down Van Me-ter or Hospital Hill until you areso sore you can’t move. Theseare the memories you will lookback fondly on after your col-lege experience is over.

To the class of 2015: congratu-lations, we did it! Whether wehave it all of it or none of it fig-ured out, we will find our wayin the world; our time here hasprepared us for nothing less. Tothose not graduating quite yet,enjoy your last days, months, oryears on the Hill, because it willfly by before you know it.

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SGA PRESIDENT | NICKI TAYLOR

WKUHERALD.com


Commencement schedule

Friday, may 15 Saturday, may 16 Sunday, may 17Graduate

Commencement Ceremony

5 p.m., Diddle Arena

underGraduate Commencement

Ceremonies

Regional Campus Commencement

CeremoniesGordon Ford College

of Business &College of Health

and Human Services9:30 a.m., Diddle arena

WKU Owensboro Commencement Ceremony

6:30 p.m., RiverPark Center

Ogden College of Science and Engineering &

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences2 p.m., Diddle arena

WKU Elizabethtown-Fort Knox Commencement Ceremony6:30 p.m., Hardin County

Schools Performing Arts Center

University College &Potter College of Arts and

Letters6 p.m., Diddle arena


WKU Spirit Master Graduates1st Row (left to right): Catherine Havel (May’15), Jay Todd Richey ( May’17), Rebecca McPhearson (Dec. ’15), Kayla Lofton (Dec. ’15), Meghan McGuirk ( May ’15).2nd Row (left to right): Nolan Miles ( May ’16), Grace McCullough ( May ’15), Mckinze Willard ( May ’15), Bennett Peck ( May ’15), Catherine Stone ( May ’15).3rd Row (left to right): Kamilah Champion (May ’15), Natalie Gilliam ( May ’15), Ellie Jolly ( May ’15), Ashlee Manley ( May ’15), Alyson Manley ( May ’15), Kaitlyn Snyder ( May ’15), Eric Marr ( May ’15), Charlie Rhea ( May ’15).

I decided to major in journal-ism the day the Chicago Sun-Times, one of my favorite pub-lications, filed for bankruptcy protection.

"Why on earth would you decide on news-papers?" my mom said. “Why not law school?”

Little did I know that her questions would become one of a series of tough ques-tions I’d face when I told people I wanted to be a jour-nalist. Conveniently enough for me, I received an excel-lent scholarship to one of the nation’s premier journalism

schools, and I didn’t even have to leave the state.

I joined the Herald staff as the academics beat reporter in Spring 2012, having only

one semester of introduc-tory journalism courses

and voracious reading habits under my belt. The first time I inter-viewed Gary Ransdell for a story, I couldn't

stop shaking (though admittedly, interviewing

Jerry of Ben & Jerry's fame was even more surreal).

When I left the country to study at Harlaxton, I still kept tabs on the Herald. I free-lanced overseas and wrote a

couple of jet-lagged stories once I returned from Eng-land. The following semester, I participated in the Disney College Program. Yet again, I freelanced, writing a feature on my experience working in Orlando for Mickey Mouse. I came back to the Herald to write more, and I joined the Talisman staff to train a differ-ent set of writing muscles.

This semester has been the most trying. As news editor, I became attuned to sirens wailing at any point around campus. I wrote stories about tuition increases, job losses, discrimination and a certain athletic team’s suspension, and

none of it was easy. I could not imagine these past

four years without Student Pub-lications, especially the College Heights Herald. I want to thank everyone at Student Publications for being encouraging, thoughtful and my family. I learned so much from every editor, every designer, every photographer, every writer, and I will miss you all dearly.

As a journalism student, I spent the past four years hearing about the death of print media, the conflicting messages of collabo-ration yet doing everything your-self, and how all journalists are corrupted liberals who let their biases seep through into their work. However, journalism isn’t the only major enduring these fallacies. To everyone graduating with a “useless,” “worthless,” “go-ing-to-be-working-as-a-barista-forever” major, take pride in that degree. Own it. Don’t let precon-

ceived notions or societal expec-tations sway you from followingyour dreams.

I’ve had to ask a lot of toughquestions during my time here,but now it’s time to ask myselfsome very difficult questions.What do I really want out of life?Who am I? Who do I want to be?How do I get to that point? Theseexistentialist questions seem cli-ché and Hallmark movie-worthy.But now I’m realizing maybethose questions became trite aftergenerations of humans ponderedthose exact qualms. I’m comfort-ed by that knowledge; seeing yourpredecessors scribe their ownadventures and blaze their ownpaths is reassuring, especiallywhen you’re in a “dying major.”

Sometimes the scariest partof graduating college involvesknowing those answers. Youjust have to be brave enough towrite the story.


CONGRATULATIONS TO SIGMA CHI’S GRADUATING SENIORS

Tate DowningPhil Sadler

Jae Craycraft Will CokerClay Ahart

Ridge Green

Jason Marshall Hayden Sweat

Wheeler PainterCole Sack

Cale MiddletonAlex Neihoff

CONGRATULATIONS TO SIGMA CHI’S GRADUATING SENIORS

Tate DowningPhil Sadler

Jae CraycraftWill CokerClay Ahart

Ridge Green

Jason MarshallHayden Sweat

Wheeler PainterCole Sack

Cale MiddletonAlex Neihoff

Herald News editor | shelby rogers

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It is unbelievable to believe in just 10 short days, I will be in E.A. Diddle, bear-hugging President Ransdell and receiv-ing my diploma. This ceremo-nial act will symbolically repre-sent my change in status from an undergraduate student to a Western Kentucky University alumni.

I believe graduation day is anticipated and experienced in two different paces, or from two different perspectives. Let’s call the first group the sprint-ers. These fast-paced, forward-thinking individuals would say something along the lines of “this day could not have come sooner.” However, that is not the case for the latter. The sec-ond group are those who desire

a slower pace, and would at-tempt to tell you how they feel, but only mutter a few words be-fore the tears would drown out any and all communication. And, me? I am just in denial.

I first stepped foot on the Hill in February of 2011 for a cam-pus tour. Up until this point, I cynically discounted the the-ory of “love at first sight.” Now, more than four years later, I could not think of a better way to describe it.

My freshman year as a Hill-topper was exuberantly-exhil-arating, yet equally exhausting. I got involved in more cam-pus organizations than can be counted on two hands and changed my major three times. In hindsight, it is clear I was just

trying to find my niche. As freshman year came to

a close, I received a late-night phone call in mid-April that would change my life forever. On the other end of the line was WKU senior and Spirit Master Chair Alex Faunders, telling me that I had been selected to serve as one of 32 Spirit Masters for the 2012-2013 year.

As stated in our mission, “Spirit Masters are the official student ambassadors of WKU. Through service WKU, we are responsible for preserving tra-ditions, striving for excellence, and making the spirit of WKU contagious.”

I knew becoming a Spirit Master would change the course of my last three years of

college, but never did I expect experiences that would change a lifetime.

When people ask me what is the best part of being a Spirit Master, without hesitation I reply, “the people.” It is a hodgepodge of 32 of the most high-achieving, compassionately-motivated in-dividuals on this campus, from all walks of life.

Being a Spirit Master for three years and serving as chair this last year, I learned that lead-ership isn't about how many people follow you, but rather how many people you're able to serve.

There is something about this campus that is truly captivating.

Some of my most favorable memories as a Spirit Master were giving campus tours. I gave tours to 5-year-olds and 75-year-olds. Elementary school students who thought Big Red was a “chewed up piece of Big Red gum” to alum-

ni who cheered on the Tops atthe Colonnade. Through myservice as a a Spirit Master,I was able to experience thepast, present and future ofWKU. I will always reflect fa-vorably and thankfully on thethree years I was able to wearthat gold plated name-tag,black pants and red, some-times wrinkled polo.

Leaving anything you love ishard. For some, leaving WKUwill mean moving away fromhome for the first time and gain-ing that extra ounce of desirousindependence. For others, it willbe the summoning beckon backto your former familiar. For me,however, it means that what hasbeen my current familiar, willsoon become former. Althoughmy external, circumstantialsituation will change, the inter-nal transformation I have un-dergone will be eternal. Once aHilltopper, always a Hilltopper.Go Tops!

Spirit Masters | Catherine Havel


Ogden College of Science and EngineeringDr. Cheryl L. Stevens, Dean

MASTER OF ARTS

MathematicsCharity G. BurrissEmily M. EvankoThomas L. GriggsKerry J. KochTerry W. PelfreyKayla M. SmithMelinda V. ThompsonMatthew E. Wallace

MASTER OF SCIENCE

AgricultureDanielle L. BerkshireJustin P. DuckworthPaige A. MontgomeryJacob T. OsborneRyan L. PhelpsZachary P. VincentYao Xue

BiologyGregory J. BarrenMichael A. BarrowJane J. BartonjoOlivia F. BoydKevin C. BryanAshley J. CoxQian DongJennifer E. DumaineAmy K. FehrenbachVictoria A. GilkisonSarah E. GoodyearMegan GrandinettiLaura C. JonesEmily M. McIntireMary E. PingKayla M. PittmanAndrea SejdicShawn J. SmileyCaitlin M. WalshRobyn M. WilsonAnn M. Yaroch

ChemistryRamyasree AnnamBenjamin T. CannonPavan Kumar ChityalaAli Esmail KarimSandeep Kumar KuthadiXin LiuTulsi M. Modi•Rachana NeesuJonathon A. RandolphHitesh Kumar WaghwaniJingyi Yue

Computer ScienceRobert D. BeverlyHarinivesh Donepudi

Gary W. HutchinsonSai Sandeep JagarlamudiVinod Krishna Jeswanth MachaKavya MadugulaVivek PuligundlaQinglong SunNaga V K Abhinav VedanbhatlaSai Sindhuja Veeramachaneni

Engineering Technology ManagementBright AduOmar W. AlrawiAugustine O. AmongeNicholas J. CrossBlake CvengrosAbdulhameed DawoodSamantha J. DuncanSamuel B. EllsworthBarrett A. HamptonNing JinBright B. KahindiPegah KakavandVedangi K. MahashabdeMychal D. MosesQizheng RenTroy A. RobertsonRichard D. SuchanekXiaomeng SunAldious A. Waite

GeoscienceLinda M. BaizelEllen R. BarringerNathaniel C. BlackburnKort H. ButlerKianoosh EbrahimiChristopher R. HartAndrew D. ReederJesse N. WinchesterKeri J. Younger

Homeland Security SciencesBrandon L. DavisGrace EgbujorArmin SmailhodzicMayme M. Van MeverenMathematicsBrandy A. BarnetteMiriam M. El FarrahStephen R. GuffeyMeltem UyanikMiky Wright

PsychologyJessica P. ArnoldCasey L. BiggsTaylor S. BlaetzNicole E. ChambersBrandon W. CoffeyWilliam B. CorleyKrista L. HenryAndrew J. Kircher

Jody J. LechelerCameron R. LileKatherine D. LowryDaniel C. MooreLeah L. PalmerThomas P. PattersonDouglas L. RowlandLeah J. ShulleyNikolaj SivekPatrick A. SizemoreLaraine A. TumblinPamela N. WheelerChloe E. WilliamsXingya Xu

Technology ManagementWen Bo Zhang

BACHELOR OF ARTS

GeologyKailey E. AndersonJared J. Graham

MathematicsErin E. Beattie***•Kayla M. Byrd*Brian CoyMolly T. Keen*Vance T. Newberry•Richard B. RobertsJeremiah J. Stringer**Megan M. Wade*Cameron H. White**

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Advanced ManufacturingHussain Abdulla A. GhallabMichael C. HarruffMichael S. McManusAhmed I. Salvar

AgricultureMichaela L. Ash**John M. Baird**Carla O. Beu***•Katelyn D. BolesCaleb L. BrownZachary R. BurrisNicholas L. ChristmanTravis K. CombsCiera S. DinwiddieOlga B. DurhamJerry E. EdmondsCallie R. FranksJohn C. GrantIsaac S. GreenwellLoren C. Gross**•Caleb S. HaddockKaitlyn L. HarrisAubrey A. HarstonCharles B. HenningKyle T. HowardStephanie N. Jackson

Mitchell T. JohnsonStephen S. LaddEdward J. LeeHeather A. Lile*Jaclyn M. LileMitchell R. Lyons, IVJacob C. MitchellJared A. Moran*Katie D. MuntzJonathan B. ParkerJoseph D. PetersonKimberly A. PierceConnor PopeckAlexis J. QueryLydia P. RichardsonEva R. RossJohn A. ScarpaStephanie A. SchaeferGabrial L. SeymourJeffrey C. SmithJacob P. SmithsonBenjamin N. SpencerShelby J. SullivanWilliam H. TaborNicki Taylor***•Meghan E. TisdaleJason D. TurnerLeah Catherine C. Turner***•Kyle VanderhoofKaile N. VierstraHosea Wells, IIIAndrew T. Wurth

Architectural ScienceSummer E. Abston**Micah A. BidwellAndrea R. Dunnaway***Jennifer L. Gaiko***•Laketta A. GravesJulio W. HogueCole C. ManningDylan W. NonweilerMichael E. RobertsRandy RodriguezAnthony G. ThornHoang Long TranKendra L. Whitaker**BiochemistryRichard W. Dawson, Jr.Ethan D. Gibson***Ka Wai Kwong*•Kyle B. Mann***•Dharmesh J. Patel**•Jason N. Payne*

BiologyCody L. AshleyLauren N. Badstibner**Dalice R. BallouWayde R. BarnesChristian M. BennettTaylor G. BillingsKenton W. Bottoms, IIDaniel G. Brussell*April H. Butler***•Melissa Y. Camargo

Kelsey R. Carter**Lincoln T. ChasteenLacy M. ClearyJonathan C. ClementsKaley A. Coffey**Craig A. ColemanEvan S. CowlesKatelyn R. Cox**•Lauren M. CoxNick C. DepertoAiste Dobrovolskaite*Jonathan S. Dunn**•Blake W. EhretJohnny L. EnglandEli G. Estes***Aimee M. EvansBrandon C. Farmer***•Jason A. Fort***Gabrielle N. FowlerMatthew P. Frazier***•Haley S. Freeman***Zachary A. FreemanLauren S. Gardner*Karyn E. Garner*•David C. GarstBrian R. Goodman**Sidney A. Greene***Ashley B. GrimesCaleb D. HaddenKelly D. HaleyCorteney E. HallSamantha J. Helsley*Louise J. Hill Stirling*Shelby L. HowardAlyssa D. Huff*Rachel K. Huffman***Nayab I. Hussain***•Kimberly IbisateSydney B. Jackson***Dalton E. James*Nancy E. Jolly***•Kelsey L. Kaetzel***•Steven E. King**Kerry E. Kingry**Jay B. Lankford***Ka Wang Li*•Chelsea N. LinderNatalie A. Majors***Mary K. Manion*Melinda A. McGaw Moss*Kayla M. McKnightDustin L. McQueary*Craig A. MeersCory L. MontgomeryMicaela L. Montgomery**•Katheryn M. Moore**Brynne T. MoseleyClifton S. NallyLindsey N. Neeley*Kelsey K. Newcome*•Amy Ni**�Caleb W. OdleRiya N. PatelShelby L. Pedigo*•Hannah M. Pennington***•

Westley B. PerryVictoria A. Peters*•Katie E. Prior***•Tomislav PudicBrittany D. Renfrow***Fikret Sabic**Tyler L. Scaff***•Alexandra D. SchmidtMitchell L. Schooler**•Kristin B. Searcy*Cody R. Sheffield***Emma Z. Sibalich*Jennifer R. SlatonAutumn R. Smith***•James Z. SmithAmanda R. StegerAmber M. StephensonJames A. Stewart***Kyle R. Stewart**•Jake C. Thompson*Ellen G. Vice**Dai Le Hieu Vo*Yonathan WarrenBrent A. Webb***Sean P. WinekaTimothy C. Zeman

ChemistryAli J. AbdulrheemJohn A. Biechele Speziale**•Sarah A. BoydMatthew T. Colonna**•Deanna L. Conner***•Robert N. Cowles**Jessica S. CraftonKelsey L. Deperto•John T. Ferguson•Caleb D. HaddenEthan S. LahaCorbin W. LeMieux**•Ka Wang Li*�William H. Lyle**•Eric M. Marr*McKenzie M. NuckolsMatthew T. Oakley*Mitchell P. Owens*Nathan C. Puckett•Daedreana B. RamseyTyler L. Scaff***•Nicole B. Stambaugh**Kimberly G. Stinnett*Cynthia A. Tope***•Celia J. Whelan***•Samuel T. White***•Ashley N. Young*•

Civil EngineeringThad J. BillingsleyJackson L. DaughertyLucas D. GuinnDalton T. HankinsJustin F. Hopkins**Dylan T. Jones***Steven K. JonesNicholas R. MillerBenjamin T. Mullins*

Ashane C. NetthisingheKyle W. Parks**Lindsey B. PhelpsMichael C. PickettRaymond J. Van Zee*

Computer Information TechnologyWesley C. AdamsKevin T. BradleyLucas E. Bragg***Christina M. Cuonze*Raymond J. FarleySteven C. GreenAnthony K. HernandezShawn D. HobdyCharles R. HubbardJihad I. JadallahAllison MaupinTyra D. Murray***Raj S. PatelDouglas A. PatrickRachid RafiaAmy M. RainierJesse J. RichardsonJacob D. SchwindelEddie WalkerJohn W. Ward

Computer ScienceNawaf M. AlsubaieEdvin BojadzijaJason D. Busby**Richard A. DavidsonSamuel Dong*Matthew M. GrahamMatthew L. Hunt**Codi R. HustonMorgan E. Lindsey*Taylor C. Martin**Joshua D. McLeod**Colton W. RamosVignesh V. Sekar

Construction ManagementCameron T. AdamsJoseph K. BrayCole A. CherryTyler R. FranklinJonathan P. GueldaDavid B. HolobaughJason B. MarshallTaylor J. McMurtryRichard S. PuryearAaron P. SmithTrevor J. Thompson*James M. Yowell

Electrical EngineeringLarry Shane AndersonAlex R. BurdenRyan D. ColemanEric D. DennisonJoshua C. DyeJacob N. Hopkins***

Alexandra C. McGee•Geoffrey C. Olszewski

Geographic Information ScienceTaylor D. BerzinsElizabeth A. GobleAustin R. Williams

GeographyKami J. FoxDouglas M. KaiserWilliam R. Robertson

Geography and Environmental StudiesBrittany G. Austin

GeologyBrian M. AhlersBrennan L. BerryEvan S. CroweMichaela B. Curry**Michelle L. Foley**Jared J. GrahamJacob M. Hughes**•Natasha N. Patterson•Daniel B. RaffertyRonald D. Waterbury

Industrial (Vocational Career and Technical) EducationGregory L. Felkins*Mechanical EngineeringKathleen M. AngerbauerRichard B. ArnoldDillon J. Beckner*Steven H. BuchananCaitlyn L. Clark**Zachary M. CootsDel CoxZachary B. Lancaster***Jared E. McLemore*Timothy G. Moye*Kento OkitaKaitlin P. Oliver Butler**Seth J. PrinceJesse C. ReesorMariel R. ShumateRyan D. White*

Medical TechnologyCourtney M. Broyles***•Jacob W. HoodDaniel R. Robinson**

MeteorologyVictoria A. Hampton**•Zachary T. LeasorErik T. SmithDerek T. Thompson*•Brian R. Urbancic

Middle Grades MathematicsAndrew D. Boston

Kayla M. Byrd*Jordan L. Daniel**Bridgette N. DavisRobert M. Deason, Jr.John F. Drane***Shannon V. Lay***•Jody B. OwenJessica P. PickerellRyan S. RamseyPatrick A. ShartzerKelli E. Warford*Middle School ScienceChad A. MongoldKatie J. WallacePhysicsMaxwell M. Dierken**Stacy J. Hancock*Mitchell HarmonJulian M. Heinze**Samuel T. White***•

Psychological ScienceShelby L. Adams***Jordan T. Bates**•Mariah S. CastlenEmma N. FlemingHelmut Gornik**Kara L. Lengeman**Grace E. McCullough*•Breanna N. Nuckols***•Kurtis A. PollockKaitlyn E. Snyder***•Hannah K. Wilson*•

Technology ManagementAbdullah AlqwaizJustin R. BarbeChristopher Dowell***Charles F. GottThomas S. Mattingly*Aaron D. MeredithMatthew S. ReynoldsJustin M. ThompsonMichael C. Willen

ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE

Agricultural Technology and ManagementCooper M. Ray

Vocational-Industrial and Technical Teacher EducationKenneth H. HughesKelley B. Thacker

Water Resource ManagementJacob C. MillerKeith E. Northcutt

Congratulations to the May and August 2015 Graduates from Ogden College of Science and Engineering.


I would be lying if I said that the act of writing this essay weren’t more than a bit surreal. For the past semester, I have drifted through campus with a countdown clock looming over my head. At first, gradua-tion was a distant prize, something that helped me sleep at night. January and Febru-ary passed, and, as if all at once, the “even-tually” that prefaced my final days at WKU became “soon.” Inevi-table. Immediate. Professors, family and family friends all seemed to suddenly converge on one question: “How does it

feel to almost be done?”How does it feel? It’s like tripping on a drainage

grate as you cross paths with some beautiful stranger. It’s like watching the lights fade dur-

ing the premiere of “Aveng-ers: Age of Ultron” only

to hear someone ask if Batman would be making an appear-ance. It’s like entering Fresh Food immedi-

ately after the Leaky Cup Purge of 2015: Def-

initely a welcome change, but still an underwhelming compensation for all the times I left DUC—sorry, DSU—with Diet Coke splattered all over my

shorts. That’s graduation in a nut-

shell. It’s a mess of emotion, equal parts nostalgia and nau-sea, wonderment and horror.

This essay has been an exer-cise in retracing my steps, in desperately sifting through four years of memories and experi-ences for something that might impress all the people I used to think I needed to impress. If I’m being honest—and I am—I’d have to admit that my journey to this submission has been one stymied by more than self-deprecating humor. I entered WKU with a certain amount of cynicism and skepticism—pre-dispositions that I came to rec-

ognize as symptoms of deeper, often closeted issues: Prufrock-ian levels of anxiety, low self-esteem and a constant fear that I wasn’t good enough—physi-cally, mentally, etc.—to pursue my dreams.

That internal saboteur grew quiet after I joined Student Publications.

My tenure on multiple Talis-man and College Heights Herald staffs shattered my comfort zone in the best ways. In time, my patchwork of experiences made me more willing to take risks. I saw my mistakes, my struggles, as beautiful, for they became chances to grow and, ultimately, to adapt. Through Student Publi-cations, I’ve come to realize that I exist beyond a GPA. I’m more than a semester’s worth of Steak N’ Shake or an obscene number of all-nighters.

I am Josh Beal.

To acknowledge the profoundimpact others have had in shap-ing my personal journey is todiscover the spirit of WKU. Myfondest moments of college arethose that allowed me to em-power others: afternoons read-ing to the Burmese ESL studentsat Briarwood Elementary; morn-ing roundtables with high schooljournalists; the gleam in strang-ers’ eyes as they find themselvesin an edition of the Talisman.

Sometimes, when I’m lucky, Imanage to shed my insecuritiesand catch glimpses of the waymy friends and colleagues seeme. It manifests in the tug of asmile or raucous laughter, a paton the back or a Valentine’s Daycard with “thank you” scrawledon the inside. These gems ofclarity, in a quiet way, show methat I’ve made a small differ-ence in other peoples’ lives.

I think that’s reward enough.

gradua-rize, ed t.

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Talisman | Josh Beal

As we approach May gradu-ation, it is important that we hold firm to those who have encouraged and grounded us throughout our years at WKU. Parents, families, friends, fac-ulty and advisors, I want to thank you for support. It has been a great honor to serve as the presi-dent of the Interna-tional Student Dip-lomats.

Since freshman year, my involvement in numerous extracurricu-lar activities has shaped me into the leader I am today. From my

involvement in Relay for Life, the Dynamic Leadership Insti-tute and the African Student Union and other organizations, I have made connections with individuals from around the

world expanding my WKU international reach ex-

perience. I have been able to

learn about different cultures from around the world, and this

would have not been possible if it were not

for WKU. WKU has really given me the international ex-perience, and hence it is truly

“A Leading American University with International Reach.”

As an international student from Kenya, WKU was a dif-ferent setting for me to adapt to, hence I wanted to find new opportunities that would chal-lenge me intellectually and help me prosper academically. Being among the first interna-tional students in the Honor’s College, I was able to publish a Honors thesis as well as present my research at numerous na-tional conferences.

So when people ask me why I chose WKU? I could say I came to WKU for four amaz-

ing years full of fun. I could say WKU offered me the opportu-nity to make friends and have a family. I could say the history, traditions and spirit of WKU touched my heart. However, WKU has also frustrated me, stressed me out and deprived me of my sleep.

I didn’t come to WKU just to get a degree. I could earn that anywhere. Instead I came to WKU for a particular kind of education, because I desired a college experience that would challenge me. Knowing WKU, with all of its spirit, history and traditions, I knew it would be

my home away from home forthe next two to four years. Tosay the least, WKU is my sec-ond home and I am going tomiss it.

To the class of 2015, congratu-lations and best of luck for yourfuture endeavors. Today we areproud of all our accomplish-ments at WKU, so as we holdour diploma just rememberall the hard work you put in toachieve it. I say this because lifeafter college is not about livingsedentary lives. Therefore thinkof your degree as a ticket tochange the world rather than aticket to a good life.

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International Student Diplomat | Dharmesh Patel

WKUHERALD.com


Josh BealJohn Corum

Trey Crumbie Ashley Edwards

Molly EnglishRiley Finwood Jennie FowlerLuke Franke

Jackson FrenchCollin Hancock

Laura Hazlett Katelyn Houge

Will HydeKatie Jaggers

Emily LittleSarah Matney

Michael McKayKatie McLean

Katie Meek

Brittany MosterAaron Mudd

Ryan PaitJacob ParkerBrian Powers

Tyler ProchazkaShelby Rogers

Shelley SpaldingKayla Swanson

Zachary Tatoian

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATING SENIORS

Student Publications

graduation section 2015

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