Seated six feet apart across a football field, yet bound together like no other class in decades, North Greenville University's (NGU) 2021 graduates celebrated their degrees on a beautiful foothills evening Friday, April 30.
With their families looking on from the stands in Younts Stadium – socially distanced but thankfully inside the campus landmark – the graduates were challenged to "listen to God."
"Do you do that?" asked commencement speaker Bill Reeves. "Do you spend any time in the day listening to him?"
Reeves is CEO of Educational Media Foundation, parent company of K-Love, the world's largest contemporary Christian music radio network. He told the graduates his career path in the Christian entertainment business started when he listened to God as a 15-year-old at summer camp on NGU's Tigerville campus.
That 33-year journey has taken him from Word Records to Big Idea Productions' VeggieTales® brand, and work with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins products before founding Working Title Agency and marketing major motion pictures including God's Not Dead, I Can Only Imagine, and War Room.
Baccalaureate degree students whose cumulative grade point average is at least 3.5 graduate cum laude; those with at least 3.75 graduate magna cum laude, and those with at least 3.9-grade point average graduate summa cum laude.
The Honors Program offers a challenge to superior students to continue their intellectual growth. Graduation as an Honors Scholar requires completing honors courses, honors seminars, and the senior honors project with a 3.5 GPA.
The following local students are members of NGU's Class of 2021:
Anderson
Katelin Mackenzie Hanna – BS, Biology, Magna Cum Laude, Honors Scholar
William Blair Kahaly – BS, Marketing
Matthew Thomas Martin – BS, Sport Management
Waymon Brady Miller – BS, Business Administration, Cum Laude
Joshua William Paese – BA, Broadcast Media, Cum Laude
Jadyn Audrie Slaughter – BS, Health Science, Summa Cum Laude, Honors Scholar
Easley
James Michael Bagwell – BA, Christian Ministry, Cum Laude
Brittany Faith Baker – BGS - General Studies
Emily Lynn Capell – BS, Math Education, Magna Cum Laude
Sarah Grace Dover – BS, Social Studies Education
Leighton Andrew Griggs – BS, Accounting, Cum Laude
Keaton Reed Henry – BS, Outdoor Leadership
Kelsea Lyn Hicks – BA, Broadcast Media
Connor Burns O'Shields – BA, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
Mikayla Mannassah Plummer - BS, Health Science
Fountain Inn
Megan Eileen Bailey – BS, Health Science, Cum Laude
Stacy Christine Dinger - Master of Business Administration
Jennifer Catlyn Garrett – BGS, General Studies
Kaelie Grace Ricker - BA, Elementary Education, Cum Laude
Savannah Ashley Wimpey – BS, Business Administration, Cum Laude
Greenville
Ryan Matthew Brown - Master of Business Administration
Jillian Patricia Chiesa - Master of Business Administration
Mathilda Marlo Dew – BS, Interdisciplinary Studies
Lianna Grace Fusco – BA, Elementary Education, Cum Laude
Clarissa K. Gaines- Master of Business Administration
Savannah LaFawn Hughes, BS- Health Science
Kaitlyn Rose Lundy – BA, Digital Media, Cum Laude
Nicolas Crawford Olson – BA, Intercultural Studies
Rebecca Joy Osorio - Master of Education
Donald Austin Painter – BS, Accounting, Magna Cum Laude
Katala Grace Peterson - BS, Psychology
Honesty Nicole Robinson - Master of Business Administration
Derenda Ruth Ropp – BS, Social Studies Education, Summa Cum Laude
Abigail Elizabeth Russell – BA, Early Childhood Educational Studies, Magna Cum Laude
Andrew Gregory Smith – BA, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
Trey Collin Stewart – BA, Digital Media
Creed Carson Taylor – BS, Marketing
Ryan Watson Thurn - Master of Business Administration
Kenzie Deandra Webb – BA, Digital Media
Samuel Thomas Wilder – BS, Sport Management, Cum Laude
Lauryn Grace Willingham – BA, Interdisciplinary Studies, Cum Laude
Greenwood
Joseph Castillo-Espino – BS, Accounting
Sawyer Brooks Evans – BA, Interdisciplinary Studies
Kobie Tyrel Morton – BS, Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude
Greer
Jacob Andrew Blevins – BA, Broadcast Media
Madison Hampton Brown – BS, Biology
McKenzie Lee Cavin - BS, Sport Management
Nicole Grace Daniel – BA, Digital Media, Magna Cum Laude
Rachel Michelle Daniel – BA, Broadcast Media, Cum Laude
Kristen Joy Emery – BS, Sport Management, Summa Cum Laude
Vivian Marie Fout - Master of Education
Leah LiXing Fraley – BS, Health Science, Summa Cum Laude, Honors Scholar
Brian Thomas Grant - Master of Music Education
Kathryn Grace Ingle – BA, Digital Media, Magna Cum Laude
Shelby Rayne Jones – BS, Social Studies Education
Joo Shin Kim - Master of Business Administration
Timothy Matthew Lehne – BS, Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude
Benjamin Mark Mathews – BA, International Business, Cum Laude
Cassidy Morgan Norris – BA, Elementary Education, Cum Laude
Elvin Rosa – BS, Business Administration
Ross Andrew Skinner – BA, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
Jeffery T. Smith – BA, Criminal Justice, Summa Cum Laude
Kati Joy Smith – BA, Christian Ministry
Zachary Luke Smith – BA, Christian Ministry
Liberty
Jada Madison Barr – BA, English Language Arts Secondary Education, Summa Cum Laude
Elizabeth Christine Bramel – BA, Music Education
Braydn Seth Dover – BS, Sport Management, Magna Cum Laude
Samuel Donnan Lawson – BA, Music Worship Studies
Nicholas Keith Reeves - BS, Health Science
Marietta
Jameson Seth King – BS, Outdoor Leadership
Haleigh Brianna Williams – BA, Elementary Education, Magna Cum Laude
Mauldin
Zion Mekhi Dendy – BA, Digital Media
Catherine Gallego – BS, Health Science
Isaac Theophilus Langdon – BS, Sport Management
Pelzer
Kaila C. Miller – Master of Education
Pickens
Sarah Elizabeth Atkins – BA, Elementary Education, Summa Cum Laude
Ridge Taylor Clark – BS, Social Studies Education, Summa Cum Laude
Stephanie Pasucal Dalton – Master of Business Administration
Victoria Richelle Morris – BA, History, Cum Laude
Jonathan William Reece – BS, Outdoor Leadership
Piedmont
Ian Hammond – BA, Music Performance, Cum Laude
Lauren Veronica Pittman – BS, Psychology, Magna Cum Laude
Lydia Shalom Ritter – BA, International Business, Magna Cum Laude
Jared Michael Sanders – BA, Christian Studies, Cum Laude
Faith Marie Yeargin – BS, Psychology, Cum Laude
Salem
Anna Danielle Frick – BA, Elementary Education
Seneca
Jennifer Ann Jiviens – BS, Applied Psychology, Cum Laude
Noah Lee Landreth – BS, Marketing
Naomi Elyse Augusta Schaaf – BA, Early Childhood Education
Simpsonville
Tabatha Caldwell Ard – Master of Business Administration
Michael Case Cikanowick - BA, General Studies
Joshua David Crawford – Master of Business Administration
Amanda Ashley Fasig – BS, Health Science, Summa Cum Laude
Lindsay Marie Hoffner – BA, Interdisciplinary Studies, Summa Cum Laude
Carson Avery McIntosh – BS, Health Science, Cum Laude
Matthew John Pace – BS, Business and Leadership, Summa Cum Laude
Hannah Katherine Pearson – BA, Broadcast Media
Bryan Wilson – BS, Business and Leadership, Magna Cum Laude
Sunset
Eden Gabrielle Cassell – BA, Elementary Education, Summa Cum Laude
Taylors
Cathryn Joy Bell – BS, Psychology, Magna Cum Laude
Tayler Page Cooper – BA, Elementary Education, Magna Cum Laude
Raeven Dowd – BA, Elemtnary Educational Studies
Dillon Reid Erkens – BS, Sport Management
Meghan Breanna Erkens – BS, Math Education, Cum Laude
Ethan Campbell Fetter – BS, Sport Management
Mary Jane Garcia – BA, Early Childhood Education
Karissa Catherine Garzony – BA, English Language Arts Secondary Education, Summa Cum Laude
Megan Brooke Giles – Master of Business Administration
Holly Holtzclaw – Master of Education
Crystal Renee Jones – BA, Elementary Education, Cum Laude
Victor Emanuel Prieto – BA, International Business
Kimberly Grace Rhyne – BA, English, Magna Cum Laude
Alexandrea Grace Wampole – BA, Elementary Education, Magna Cum Laude
Tigerville
Brittany Grace Campbell – BA, Early Childhood Education, Cum Laude
Jesse James Haack – BA, Intercultural Studies, Cum Laude
Christopher Perry Jackson – BS, Health Science
Peace Ginika Okeke – BS, Business Administration
Daniel Brett Plyler – Master of Arts in Christian Ministry
Travelers Rest
William Daniel Bailey – BS, Biology
Kathryn Elizabeth Barnes – BS, Accounting, Magna Cum Laude, Honors Scholar
Brooke Mackenzie Biondo – BA, Elementary Education, Cum Laude
Abigail Joy Gilbert – BA, Theatre
Emily Donielle Leopard – BS, Business Administration
Anna Grace McKee – BS, Biology, Cum Laude
Joshua Lincoln Moseley – BA, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, Magna Cum Laude
Hayden Katherine Warren – BS, Biology, Summa Cum Laude, Honors Scholar
Jenna Wright Wilson – BA, Criminal Justice
Wahalla
Dustin Christopher Hogan – BS, Sport Management
Williamston
Mary Jospehine Weber – BA, English, Magna Cum Laude
NGU offers more than 115 areas of study across certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic. Learn more at www.ngu.edu.