Several local students among University of the Cumberlands 2024 graduates

Just under 6,000 students make up this year’s University of the Cumberlands graduating class. Approximately 170 graduates completed an associate degree, 1,250 finished a bachelor’s degree, 3,770 received a master’s degree, 270 completed an educational specialist degree, and 530 earned a doctoral degree. Graduates represented many different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures, but they all now have one thing in common: they made it.

“Graduates, today marks a significant milestone in your lives,” said Dr. Larry L. Cockrum, university president, during commencement ceremonies. “You have persevered through years of hard work and now stand here, ready to take on the world. I am honored to congratulate each and every one of you on your outstanding achievements.”

The graduating class represented 49 states in the U.S. and the territories of the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico, as well as 18 countries around the world. Among undergraduate students, two-thirds grew up in Appalachian areas, just over half competed in university athletics, and the majority of graduates were involved in a combination of different music ensembles, campus ministries, clubs, and campus organizations.

The Class of 2024 performed 41,574 hours of community service. That equates to 5,197 8-hour workdays, or 1,040 40-hour work weeks. University of the Cumberlands designates graduates who complete 200 or more hours of community service as Hutton Scholars. This year, the graduating class had 84 Hutton Scholars.

The following local residents received a degree in Fall 2023, Spring 2024 or are set to complete their degree in Summer 2024:

Corbin graduates

A-G

Kaitlyn Adkins, Sophie Anderson, Maggie Ballou, Catelin Ball, Mary Barnett, Trinity Barker, Britnee Barnett, Elijah Batt, Trevor Baxter, Kaitlynn Baxter, Corinne Bertrand, April Bray, Alyssa Bridges, Jeremiah Brock, Trey Broughton, Ashley Bruck, Camron Campbell, Mikiah Carnes, Russell Carr, Alexandria Cerveny, Savannah Champlin, Cole Clark, Taylor Colyer, Alexander Conley, Dalton Cook, Matthew Creekmore, Emily Culler, Torri Day, Landon Dopel, Misty Dowd, Cody Driggers, Katie Earnest, Zoe Erwin, Abigail Eubanks, Felicia Eversole, James Faulkner, Ryan Fields, Abbigail Fox, Brookelin Fraze, Andrew Giles, Miranda Giles, Katherine Gorjup, Laura Green, Megan Gregory, Harleigh Grubb,

H-O

Courtney Hall, Michael Hall, Emily Hamblin, Hannah Hamblin-Flora, Emma Hamilton, Jasmine Hampton, Christopher Harris, Zachary Hash, Karen Helton, Kara Helton, Kelsi Hendrickson, Nicholas Hibbard, Ashley Hill, Katelyn Hopper, Chelcey Howington, Adam Hubbard, Jeana Hubbard, Destinee Johnson, Skyler Jones, Oran Kersey, Kayla Knuckles, Emily Kretzer, Jeanette Lawson, Amara Lewis, Rebecca Lewis, Tammy Lewis, Courtney Lockaby, Daniel Lowe, Summer Martin, Jennifer Mason, Lisa McCreary, Amy McEndree, Hannah Medlin, Rachel Medlin, Sydney Messer, Teresa Messer, Ashley Miniard, Madison Mirandilla, Julia Mitchell, Kristin Mitchell, Lindsey Morgan, Anthony Morton, Zachary Myers, Elizabeth Neeley, Jacqueline Noell, Sherry Osborne,

P-W

Destini Parks, Alexander Partin, Savannah Partin, Shreya Patel, Taylor Perry, Sarah Phipps, Madison Proffitt, Summer Rains, Christina Rice, Maribeth Robinson, Madeline Saylor, Callie Schoolcraft, Braden Sevier, Brandon Shelley, Lona Shepherd, Vanessa Sibert, Jaron Singley, McKenzie Slone, Presley Smiddy, Kenlee Smith, Lucinda Smith, Zachary Smith, Emilee Steely, Ashley Stepp, Courtney Stevens, Brooke Stewart, Halia Stidham, Joel Bengt Emanuel Sundell, Alexis Swafford, Benjamin Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Patience Taylor, Jillian Teague, Jonathan Thomas, Trisha Thomas, Whitney Turteltaub, Sarah Vanover, Debra Waggoner, Summer Walter, Jamie Walters, Lauren Walters, Ryan Wells, Stephen Wells, Autumn Whitis, Brittany Wilkerson, and Michael Williams

Rockholds graduates

Hunter Asher, Allison Baker, Gabrielle Cox, Erica DeBoard, Kimberly Ferrell, Allison Hughes, Alexis Imel, Cindy Inman, Michaela Lawson, Kelsey Thomas

Williamsburg graduates

A-E

Kiara Abanto, Dorian Bachlaj, Stacey Baird, Dylan Barnes-Moran, Tammy Barton, James Bennett, Joseph Bigelow, Emilee Blakley, Rebecca Blakley, Nicholas Bollmer, Tara Bowlin, Daniel Brennenstuhl, Andrew Bruce, Jody Bunch, Brenda Caddell, Amanda Campbell, Cathy Campbell, Pedro Carvalho, Ashley Chapman, Madison Chapman, Chia Chun Chiang, Ashley Cheek, Brandon Cheek, Naveen Cherukuri, Rachel Clifford, Theodore Clifford, Chrystian Coleman, Colton Conlin, Karen Contreras, Mickayla Coppock, Kami Corcoran, Michael Crawford, Andrea Creager, Amber Creekmore, Ashley Culver, Gopi Chand Davuluri, Ricardo Nunes Lopes De Matos, Beatriz De Souza, Kimberly Douglas, Jerton Evans, Ruth Evrard,

F-K

Lynnai Frock, Andrew Fuson, Vijay Raju Gadde, Olivia Gammon, Dylan Giles, Samantha Gillis, Anand Amish Gowda, Andrew Gray, Blake Gresham, Gabriel Griffin, Whitney Grubb, Andrea Haddix, Kandra Haider, Lillie Hall, Candace Hamblin, Emily Hart, James Haus, Matthew Hill, Benjamin Hollis, Thomas Holzkamm, Tanner Huddleston, Diane Hughlett, Sharon Holczer, Mikaylee Hunter, Francis Idoris, Taylor Jackman, Chaz Jarboe, Chaynee Jarboe, Emma Jarboe, Jaden Johnson, Brady Jones, Kaitlyn Jones, Meena Keelu, Rebekah Kersey, Daniah Abdul Razzak Khan, Shreeya Khanal,

L-P

Anthony Lawson, Madeline Lawson, Melissa Lawson, Shawnda Lawson, Anna Lay, Emily Leach, Rachel Lee, Marilyn Lewis, Dakota Lipsteuer, Elijah Mattingly, Maik Maurer, Erin Maxey, Samuel McCullah, Erin Metzger, Caleb Minner, Sabian Mitchell, Jaycie Monhollen, Samantha Monhollen, Emily Moore, Emily Moses, David Mullis, Syam Praneeth Nalli, Yasash Reddy Nandikonda, Anne Ngarhasta, Benjamin Nichols, James Overholser, Carly Oliver, Vedasree Padigapati, Stacy Pals, Kaitrin Parrett, Rebecca Partin, Emily Pasley, Noah Perkins, Victoria Petrey, Katlynn Powers, Leah Powers, Sylvia Powers, Lesleigh Prewitt,

R-Z

Alyssa Rector, Amy Rector, Hailey Richardson, Jordan Richardson, Korrey Riddle, Alex Ritchie, Keano Roberts, Caleb Rose, Liam Savio, Michael Schrenker, Martin Seve, Anastasiia Shatalova, Lindsey Shope, Vincent Sparrow, Benjamin Stargel, Sydney Stargel, Hannah Stephens, Matthew Strickland, Crystal Sullivan, Hermione Xue Teng Tan, Ashley Taylor, John Thomas, Latasha Thornton, Laura Vogt, Angel Wagers, Daniel Walls, Jacob Williamson, Melanie Wilson, Brittany Worley, Jordan Zecchini

Other local graduates

Jessica Bray of Keavy, Megan Ellis of Siler, and Leann Fragosa of Cannon

This year, two graduates were named Presidential Scholars as recognition of their academic excellence and significant research in their major field of study. Presidential Scholars perform an advanced independent study or creative activity, then give a thesis and oral presentation of their discoveries before their major’s academic department and a select committee. Both Anthony “Cage” Grubb of Barbourville, and Samuel “Blake” McCullah of Williamsburg, were approved as Presidential Scholars for 2024.

Each year, University of the Cumberlands distributes campus awards to students nominated by the Cumberlands community and decided by a select committee. This year, the winner of the A.T. Siler Memorial Service Award is Madison “Madi” Fields, a junior from Barbourville. The 2024 T.E. Mahan Memorial Service Award recipient is Chaz Disney, a junior from Corbin. Jordan Richardson, a graduating senior from Williamsburg, won the 2024 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. The 2024 winner of the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award is Kristin Mitchell, a graduating senior from Corbin. The Gorman Jones Campus Leadership Award was given to Haleigh Hopper, a graduating senior from Barbourville. Graduating senior Josh Carey was awarded the 2024 T.J. Roberts Campus Leadership Award.