Brevard College held its Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 11. A total of 179 Bachelor’s students and 14 Master’s students graduated. It is the largest graduating class in the history of the institution.
“Graduates, you’ve made it. 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,” said Dr. Bradley J Andrews, President of Brevard College, in his opening address.
The festivities began with a traditional Baccalaureate & Hooding Ceremony held on Friday afternoon, May 10, in the Porter Center for Performing Arts. The graduation ceremony on Saturday morning took place on the Ives-Lemel Family Field. Both events were live-streamed, allowing family members and friends to enjoy the events from afar.
President Andrews welcomed everyone and then the campus minister, The Rev. Dr. Sharad H. Creasman, gave an invocation to open the proceedings. Chair of the Board of Trustees, Heath Weldon ‘75, offered greetings from the Board, followed by the Announcement of Honors & Awards by Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Faculty, Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert.
Three students received the Presidential Award for Distinction: Anna Ervin, Grace Dempsey and Lena Hatter. The award recognizes graduates who demonstrate remarkable leadership, service, and academic achievement.
Graduate Bunny Frost was 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.
Julia Lusk and Sydney Raber 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.
“We graduated our first class, on this campus, in 1934,” said President Andrews. “One thing they all have in common is a commitment to Brevard’s motto: “Learn in Order to Serve. We know you will take the spirit of service with you to enrich the communities in which you will live and work.”
Unlike many colleges who invite a well-known guest to speak at the ceremony, Brevard College engages its students in the process and encourages personal growth by choosing two outstanding seniors to speak at Commencement. Graduating seniors Lena Hatter and Ish Parsons delivered thoughtful and heartfelt commencement speeches, encouraging their fellow graduates to be proud of overcoming obstacles due to Covid-19, which marked the start of their college careers.
“The adversities we have faced as a class are a testament to our strength and determination to make it to this day,” said Hatter. “Let’s embrace the future ahead with the same optimism and enthusiasm as when we took off our masks.”
Following the awards and speeches, the names of 162 Brevard College graduates walked across the stage and receive their diplomas from President Andrews. More than 30 of the newly-minted graduates hail from Western North Carolina, while the rest traveled from 16 states and 5 foreign countries to make Brevard their home.
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 Tamara Kuykendall. Graduates and faculty processed in and out to bagpipe music, a tradition at the College.
“For the Class of 2024, what will the future hold?…We are excited to see how each one of you answers that question for yourself,” said President Andrews. “Keep in touch with your mentors as you navigate your next steps and beyond. We are here to support you and we will always be eager to acknowledge your achievements.”
The following list includes Fall 2023 graduates, Spring 2024 graduates, and Summer 2024 candidates:
*** Summa cum laude, ** Magna cum laude, * Cum laude, † Honors Program Graduate,
‡ Institute for Women in Leadership
Master’s Graduates:
Grequenceo Kentavious Coger, Jr.
Jessica Brooke Garland***†
Destiny Lynn Hall*
Miles Andres Hayes
Dale Devon Antoine Holmes II
Jordan Miles Leathers
KateLynn Abigayle Olive
Mario De Oliveira Pinto Neto
Jahquih Bernard Pledger
Khadijah Shakirof-Terika
Lucy Green Swaffield*
Brady Alexander Tesch ***
Emma Christine White
Alexis Nicole Witt ***
Bachelor’s Graduates:
Aniston Marie Abshire*†
Zachery Keith Allison
Gabriel Balducci Duarte**
Rocco Mattia Barbon
Channing Elizabeth Barker
Estevan Oliveira Berto
Andrew Lee Bishop
Grace Mackenzie Black*
Alexis Nicole Blanchard
Camron D’Angelo Blanding
Elijah Caine Bloom**
Christopher Arnold Board
Mary McDowell Boss
Loren Anthony Boyette
Daniel Austin Brew*
Devon Rene Brodmyer**
John David Brown*
Tae’ondra Ashanti Brown
James Vance Burgess IV
Chantal Edith Camenzind***
Madisen Susan Campbell
Zoe Alyssa Capps
Elijah Baylee Carr
Janet Castro-Sandobal
Carmen Chirino Hulsund*
Logan Mason Clark*
Jacob Davis Cleveland
Branyone Craig Coleman
Isaiah Klottey Collison*
Cameron Patrick Cook
Atticus Taylor Constance Cooper
Isabella Thi Thuy Cordes
Maggie Brianna Cox
DeShawn Vincent Curtis
Marcos Paes Barreto da Silva
Pedro Olivieri Pires de Campos
Nathan Santana de Lima*
Cesar Alexander Delgado
Grace Elizabeth Dempsey***
Ryan Filizzola Schmi Devay
James Luke Dodson**
Peyton Mackenzie Douglas
Gregory Fitzgerald Drummond
Abigail Nicole Duncan**‡
Benjamin Franklin Ellis
Anna Elisabeth Ervin**
Carson Julian Evans
Elijah Dillon Everhart
Melody Raeanne Ferguson
Robert Campbell Fortner
Brian David Frost***
Deijon Tyrell Gash
Jameel Malik George
Anna Lynne Goode**
Daelan Rashaun Grady
Jacob Andrew Gravely
Emily Ruth Griffith***
Dakota Jarrell Grimsley
Peter Francis Grossheim
Caitlin Rose Hagarty
Baylee Rose Hallas
Warren Christopher Hamrick II
Lena Morgan Hatter
Dalton Cohen Hawley
Taleah Khiara Hayes***‡
Madison Deanne Henson
Jacob Lincoln Hernandez
Noah Sterling Hinton
Alison Michelle Holland**
Devin Matthew Horton*
Rachel Nicole Hughes**†‡
Elijah Virgil Hughes
Aaron Dyson Hunt
Jackson James Inglis
Jordan Tyler Ingram **
Dawson Samuel Jacobs
Mykah William Johnson
Amelie Suzanne Jones***
Otis Kahar**
Justin Alexander King
Katharina Anne Kramer**
Thomas Von Kramer
Tamara Faith Kuykendall***‡
Ryan Seth Lagadi*
Wyatt Mason Lankford
Garrett Davis Lauffer
Jordan Lee Laws*
Chancellor Donovan Anwar Lee-Parker
Jacob Warner Lehr
Logan Michael Leonard
Thiago Cereser Leopardi
Kaitlyn Marie Light†
Benjamin Joel Lofstedt**
Autumn Chandler Lollis***‡
Anna Russell Long***
Julia Brittain Lusk***
Declan James Lusk
Gabrielle Elizabeth Lynch***‡
Nina Machnowski
Cameron Thomas Mader
Nathaniel David Mahoney
Alexis Renee Ann Marshall
Abigail Reece Mayer*
Colin Michael McCabe
Jonas Allen McCanless***
Caleb Victor McCaskill
Andrew Meade McDonald
Kara Marie Mestas
Kayleigh Elizabeth Miller***
Colson Alan Miller
Colin Patrick Miller
Kameron Naikia Moore
Pietro Pimenta Moratelli***
Mikayla Lynn Morgan
Joseph Noel Mullins
Caelyn Shea Murphy**†‡
Devonte Taquan Murray
Isabell Naomi Musser **
Igor Mateus Nogueira da Silva**
Todd Michael Norman
Luke Raymond Norton
Zackary Scott Orr
Ishmeal Travon Parsons***
Brady Luis Penn
Cassie Nicole Plemmons
Elizabeth Garcia Ponce
Chyna Ja’vae Pouncey
Kaitlyn Paige Pressley**
Logan Brooke Priddy
Kenneth Glenn Pridmore, Jr.
Sydney Jane Raber***†
Johanna Ramirez Perez
Charles Mandrell Reed, Jr.
Grace Elizabeth Reynolds‡
Taylor Nicole Richardson†
Anthony Bernard Richardson, Jr.
Thomas Francis Riches, Jr.***
Isaac Caleb Roberts
Tristan Garrett-Reuben Robinson
Devahn Hakeem Robinson
Cesar Anthony Rodriguez***
Adam Jacob Rushing
Sarahi Salazar-Espinoza
Isaac Eli Saul
Kenz A Schinsky***†
William Russell Scoggins III
Emma Lilian Shepard*
Vitor Silva Da Costa Braga
Shawnaizja Saveira Keyonea Simmons
Carter Hughes Simmons
Riley Mary Nicole Sinclair
Caroline Ann Smallwood***
Garrett Logan Spangler
Taylor James Sparrow
Vincil Hannah Spencer
James Ryan Srsich
EmmaGrace Fuyuci Stevenson**
Nathaniel Walker Stone
Jacob Thomas Stowe**
Cindy Stephanie Suarez-Alarcon***
Facundo Daniel Sunhary Garcia
Andrew Steele Tarleton
Zachary William Taylor
David J’lon Taylor
Marina Rose Thompson
Brandon Edward Unangst
Chancey Javei Watson
George Walton Wells IV
Sylvester Adolphus White III
Linsey Savannah Wike‡
Trey Alexander Williams
Ryan Taylor Willis
Bowden Tate Witcher
Colin Abercrombie Worsencroft*†‡
Autumn Samantha Wright**†‡
Jodi Marie Wyse*
Patrick Leng Yang*
Anna Elizebeth Young**
Matthew Eduardo Zuniga
To learn more about Brevard College visit brevard.edu.
Brevard College is consistently recognized as one of the best liberal arts colleges. The College’s focus on experiential learning, small class sizes, and location in the mountains of Western North Carolina near Asheville makes Brevard a top choice college for students around the world.
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