One of the largest classes in Brevard College history graduated at the 2025 Commencement Ceremony with a total of 171 Bachelor’s students and 20 Master’s students receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in front of a capacity crowd on Saturday at Ives-Lemel Family Field.
“Graduates, you’ve made it,” said Dr. Bradley J Andrews, President of Brevard College. “For years you’ve been working with this day in mind – this is the moment where we celebrate all of your determination and hard work. We celebrate your attainment of a noble goal.”
Saturday’s ceremony began with the ethereal sound of bagpipes as a sea of black regalia greeted beaming family members awaiting the commencement. Following a call to order by Chief Faculty Marshal Dr. Mary Louise Bringle, President Andrews provided an opening address to go along with an Invocation from The Rev. Dr. Sharad H. Creasman, BC’s Campus Minister.
Next up were a series of awards presented by Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty.
The Presidential Award for Distinction was awarded to Sophia Ogawa, a double major in Health Science and Psychology from Easley, South Carolina and Sierethene Chepes, a Theatre major from Summerfield, North Carolina. The award recognizes graduating seniors who demonstrate remarkable leadership, service, and academic achievement during their time at Brevard College.
Grace Blantonwas honored with the C. Edward and Brona N. Roy Good Citizenship Award for exhibiting a record of moral character, citizenship, leadership, and a positive influence on campus. Blanton, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, graduated as a double major in Wilderness Leadership & Experiential Education and Psychology.
Maddy Elliott (Biology; Hendersonville, North Carolina), Kevin Wright (Mathematics; Clover, South Carolina) and Lex MacLauchlin (Business & Organizational Leadership and Communication) each earned the Presidential Award for Scholarship which honors the graduating seniors with at least 62 hours of coursework at Brevard College, with the highest academic rank, based on the cumulative grade point average for all coursework completed. Each of the three recipients earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average at Brevard College.
Unlike many colleges who invite an outside guest to speak at the ceremony, Brevard College engages its students in the process and encourages personal growth by choosing an outstanding senior to speak at Commencement. Graduating senior Haylea Layne Miller, BC’s Student Government President in 2024-25, delivered a thoughtful and heartfelt speech, encouraging her fellow graduates to be proud of their growth at Brevard College.
“We grew in the classroom of course, but even more, we grew as people,” said Miller. “We learned to advocate for ourselves and for others, and to step into leadership. We learned how to keep going. Even when things were uncertain or hard, we kept going.”
Following the awards and speeches, the graduates of the Class of 2025 walked across the stage and received their diplomas from President Andrews.
For the first time, Brevard College awarded Master of Business Administration degrees with 13 MBA students receiving diplomas. The College also awarded its first-ever Bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Chemistry with three new graduates from each major.
Over 20 of the newly-minted graduates hail from Western North Carolina. In total, graduates from the year’s class arrived at Brevard from 17 different states and five nations outside of the U.S. (Brazil, United Kingdom, Canada, France and Ireland).
To conclude the ceremony, President Andrews offered a charge to the graduating class, followed by the traditional Brevard College hymn “Guarded Well By Mountains” led by Naomi Firebaugh ’25 who graduated with degrees in both Theatre and Music.
“Graduates, you now join a special group of people – the alumni of this small and mighty college,” said President Andrews. “We know you will take the spirit of service with you to enrich the communities in which you will live and work.”
The festivities began with a traditional Baccalaureate & Hooding Ceremony held on Friday afternoon in the Paul Porter Center for Performing Arts, followed by Saturday’s Commencement Ceremony. Both events were live-streamed, allowing family members and friends to enjoy the events from afar.
The following list includes Fall 2024 graduates, Spring 2025 graduates, and Summer 2025 candidates:
Courtney Noelle Augusto**
Channing Elizabeth Barker
Bethany Lynn Bryan***
Parker Thomas Corbett**
Paris Idris Crawford
Mary Beth Criser***
Emma Grace Gooch
John Roderik Hodgskiss***
Jordan Lindsay
Colin Michael McCabe**
Jeffrey Brian McCants**
Tyler Patrick Miranda***
Toby Benjamin Naylor
Samuel Graham Denis O’Callaghan***
Katherine Taylor Parnell***
LaToria Courtney Robinson**
Joshua Oneil Romero***
Nathaniel Joshua Scott
Jacob Thomas Stowe**
Colin Abercrombie Worsencroft
Bachelor’s Graduates:
Nicholas Mason Acus
Olivia Maya Adams
Tiago Miranda Aguilar *
Eduardo Passos Alvala
Jonathan Ardila Ortiz***
Brooks Corneilous Ashford Jr.
Emma Claire Barnes**
Sara Catherine Barnes***
Ashlyn Ann Baumann**†
Bryce Gabriel Bernitt
Joshua Michael Blackstock**
Elizabeth Carroll Blalok
Grace Elizabeth Blanton*†
Nathan Thomas Bond
Madison Elizabeth Bowen**
Naliyah Yasmine Boyce
Kerry Marie Boyd**
Peter Joseph Bresko
Hailey Elizabeth Brien
Gabriel Aaron Britton
Chandler Davis Bryson***†
Scott James Bundy
Gabriel Seth Burris**
Joao Vitor Capelli Fehr
Tanner Bryce Charlet
Sierethene Michael Chepes**†
Callum Benjamin Child
Nicholas Hunter Clark**†
Ethan Wyatt Coleman
Leonardo Concencio Zabeu Lopes
John William Creasman*
Connor Todd Crosby
Tyler Justin Emerson Cummings**
Wendel Neves de Lima
Rodrigo Castilho de Matos
Joao Pedro Ribeiro de Souza
Abigail Grace Delp
Emily Judith Denaga***†
Alex Hunter Dial**
Sandra Lissett Diaz-Martinez
James Leanus Dodson***
Ava Kathleen Dougherty
Jasmyn Nicole Dunn
Tom Pierre Dussauge
Paige Lauren Edwards**†
Madalynn Cassie Elliott***
Gunnar Ray Ensign*
Naomi Claire Firebaugh
Philip Hilton Ford***†
Richard James Hamlett Gilson
Lucas Reed Granata**
Jordan Alexandra Gresham
Olivia Jean Grisewood
Rodrigo Garcia Diniz Guilherme
James Watford Hackney
Kelsey Marlene Hamrick
Audrey Carmin Hanson
Elizabeth Andrews Hedgepath**
Hannah Rose Hersh***†
Jackson Duncan Hicks
Cooper James Hogan
Kentrayle DeMario Holloway
Patricia Marie Holmberg
Gabrielle Celeste Hooper**†
Shania Olivia Houser*
Ashley Brinell Hoxit
Melanie Hope Hoyle
Eamonn Patrick Hunter**
Abigail Clark Hutcheson
Cassidy Leigh Hutto*†
Dylan Kobe James
Alexa Davis Jennings**
Hayden Stanley Jennings**
Bethany Megan Johnson***
Jared Lee Jones
Logan Michael Jones*
Catherine Davant Keenan**†
Hayley Elizabeth Kenney*†
Paige Mackenzie Kneubuhler***†
Sara Christine Laboe**
Bailey Grace Lance
Hayden Collin LeBlanc*
Charles Noah Lewis
Olivia Isabelle Anoria Little*
Gabriella Lucille Floyd Lujon**
Ryan Steward Lynch
Alexis Jade MacLauchlin***
Isaias Maldonado-Figueroa*
Garrett Nicholas Malsby
Lauren Renee Mann
Olivia Rose Martinez
Shannon Kerry McCarthy**†
Kyle Jacob McDonald **†
William Ethan McGee
Adan Alexander Miller
Haylea Layne Miller***†
Zachery Wayne Miller
Alyse Brook Moore*
Daniel James Morgan*
Luke Alexander Morton*
Catherine Blair Nance*
Caden Martin O’Brien**
Dominic Joseph O’Brien***†
Cale Sterling Oehler*
Sophia Kimiko Ogawa***†
Marcelo Goichi Okuda Filho**
Jada Leigh Ore*
Sabrina Constance Carmen Ortiz
Brenden Rhys Palmer*
Makenna Kate Parkins***
Evan Saul Perrey**
Michael William Peters
Rachel Elaine Piazzola**
Naomi Grace Plumley
Zoe Emma Porter
James Cameron Pyle
Karley Madison Queen
Nicholas Matthew Queen**
Emmalie Paige Reese
George Thomas Rennie***
Dylan Thomas Richardson
Christian Alexander Riley*
Kiera Dayne Robinson*
Ryan Seth Ropp**
Matheus Rosa Rossi
Mashayla Autumn Rose
Hadden Alexander Schnell
Christine Dian Scott
Jordan Nathaniel Searcy
Izzy Rae Sellers
Brian Andrew Seon*
Lexi Nicole Shepard
Eliza Jane Shepherd
Aysha BreAnn Short
Nikolas David Shultis
Andrew Smith
Darryl Keith Smith
Jared Lee Smith
Ernest O’Lindsey Smith II
Valarie Elizabeth Sorrell
Trinity Deryn Rose Sprague
Justine Reese St. Louis†
Mason Lee Tanner
Hugo Jackson Taylor†
Kaitlynn Nicole Taylor
Jacob Colvin Thompson
James Richard Tinsley
Mackenzie Brown Tonks
Sophia Jayne Trantham***†
Rachel Elizabeth Trifoli***
Krista Celine Tucker
Franklin Hallock Vasquez
Grace Kierra Lynnette Vaught
Steven Jose Victoriano
Nicole Leanne Volk**†
Kailey Grace Ward
Jack Cameron Weaver
Emma Elizabeth Wester*†
Simeon James Whatley**
Noah Albert Wiggins
Savannah Dawn Wilkins***
Triston Todd Winn**
Kevin Peter Wright***†
Baylor Chase Wyatt
Lamont Anthony Young Jr.
*** Summa cum laude, ** Magna cum laude, * Cum laude, † Honors Program Graduate
To learn more about Brevard College visit brevard.edu.