SOUTHERN COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

1245 Madison Avenue

Memphis, TN 38104

www.sco.edu

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

For more information, contact:

Jim Hollifield, 901-722-3343

Director of Publications

Jhollifield@sco.edu

 

Southern College of Optometry Awards 119 Doctor of Optometry Degrees

 

            MEMPHIS, Tennessee (May 2, 2008) – Southern College of Optometry (SCO) graduated 119 students on Friday, May 2, 2008 in a ceremony held at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis.

            Actor and entertainer Tom Sullivan delivered the commencement address. Sullivan, blind since birth, is a motivational speaker and author of a number of best-selling books. In his remarks, Sullivan highlighted the important role that optometrists play in the lives of their patients as healthcare providers. He encouraged the graduates to use their talents and energy to make a positive difference in their patients’ lives.

            Kimberly Lewis Oncavage, president of the senior class, delivered the class address to her fellow graduates. Class valedictorian was Kristen Michelle DeHaven of Hoisington, Kansas; class salutatorian was Jennifer Kragenbrink Mallory of Columbia, Tennessee

            Retiring Professor James G. Saxon, PhD, had the title of Professor Emeritus conferred upon him. Dr. Saxon, who joined the SCO faculty in 1974, is retiring from the SCO faculty effective June 30, 2008.

Sam J. Galloway, former Executive Director of SECO, and Dr. Linda Johnson, Director of Optometry for Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center in Jackson, Mississippi, received honorary degrees conferred by SCO President Richard W. Phillips.

            Named Executive Director of Southern Council and SECO in 1979, Galloway served as Executive Director of the organization for 24 years. During his tenure, SECO attendance nearly tripled, and SECO became SECO International as the optometric profession expanded its international influence and moved toward the medical model of practice.

            Dr. Linda Johnson formerly served a six-year term on Southern College of Optometry’s Board of Trustees. She was elected Board Chair in 2005. A former president of the National Optometric Association, Dr. Johnson is a recognized leader of optometry both nationally and in Mississippi, where she serves as Director of Optometry for Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center.

             Mr. Galloway was awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters degree, and Dr. Johnson received the Doctor of Ocular Science honorary degree.

            Thursday evening prior to the commencement ceremony, the college’s graduating class was honored with a Senior Banquet and Award Ceremony. Prior to the commencement ceremony on Friday, a reception was held from for graduates and their families at the SCO Activity Center.

            Southern College of Optometry’s Class of 2008 graduates include:

Ginny Ahrens, B.S. ........................................................................................ West Point, Nebraska

Jenny Nicole Alsop, B.S. ............................................................... Webster Springs, West Virginia

Rachel Anne Aughney, B.S. ......................................................................................... Firth, Idaho

Andrea D. Beedles, B.S. ...................................................................................... Rose Hill, Kansas

Philip James Beggs, B.S.  ....................................................................................... Wichita, Kansas

Kiley Ann Berry, B.S. ................................................................................ Fairmont, West Virginia

Kathleen Ann Biggs, B.S. ................................................................................ Jackson, Mississippi

Ashley Mae Blasi, B.A.  ......................................................................................... Wichita, Kansas

James Dylan Bondurant, B.S.  ..................................................................... Union City, Tennessee

Cory James Boudreaux, B.S. ............................................................................... Paradis, Louisiana

Rebecca Ann Bowers, B.S. ............................................................................. Paragould, Arkansas

Ashley Ryan Brooks, B.A. ............................................................................ Bentonville, Arkansas

Kristen Overman Bryant, B.S. .............................................................. Plainfield, New Hampshire

Blake Bush, B.S. .............................................................................................. Ardmore, Oklahoma

Ehryn Beth Cartwright, B.S. .................................................................................. Cincinnati, Ohio

Peter Charron, B.A. ................................................................................................. Gorham, Maine

Steven B. Codner, B.S................................................................................................... Orem, Utah

Donald Wayne Connell, B.S. ............................................................................. Bartlett, Tennessee

William Benjamin Conrad, B.S.  ............................................................. Richwood, West Virginia

Joshua G. Davis, B.S.  ......................................................................................... Idaho Falls, Idaho

Mark Davis, B.S. .............................................................................................. Batesville, Arkansas

Kristin Michelle DeHaven, B.S., B.A. .............................................................. Hoisington, Kansas

Amanda Rae Dellinger, B.S.  .................................................................................. Dublin, Georgia

Sarah Suzanne Denman, B.S.  ............................................................................. DeWitt, Arkansas

Kathryn Naomi Dowdy, B.S. ..........................................................................  Carriere, Mississippi

Matthew L. Dugger, B.S. ..........................................................................  Madisonville, Kentucky

Melissa Dawn Farley, B.S. ............................................................................ Wayne, West Virginia

Jaclynn Rose Fisher, B.S. ....................................................................................... Muenster, Texas

Ashley Ayn Fortney, B.S. ........................................................................... Lawrenceville, Georgia

Alisha Marie Freyberger, B.S. .................................................................................. Jasper, Indiana

Aaron Bishop Glass, B.S. ................................................................................ Elon, North Carolina

William Brian Guice, B.S. ............................................................................. Little Rock, Arkansas

Emily Lynn Halbur, B.S.  .............................................................................................. Ames, Iowa

Tressie Carol Hall, B.S. ........................................................................... Bogue Chitto, Mississippi

Jennifer Lee Anne Haverkamp, B.G.S. .................................................................. Wichita, Kansas

Marc Sacha Helmy, B.S. ................................................................................ Cocoa Beach, Florida

Lauren Denae Henson, B.A. .............................................................................. Sweetwater, Texas

Kyle Hiatt  ................................................................................................................... Payson, Utah

Lesley Katherine Horan, B.A.  .................................................................................. Manson, Iowa

Alette Patrece Howard, B.E.  .......................................................................... Memphis, Tennessee

Claire S. Hunter, B.S.  ............................................................................. Davidson, North Carolina

Nadine Molly Hynes, B.S. ..................................................... St. Philip’s, Newfoundland, Canada

Erin Atwater Jackson, B.S., B.A. .......................................................... Burlington, North Carolina

Julia Rebecca Meyer Jackson, B.S. ...................................................................... Wynne, Arkansas

Melinda D. Johnson, B.S. .............................................................................. Shreveport, Louisiana

Narges Kasraie, B.S. ........................................................................................ Jonesboro, Arkansas

Marzuka Khan Jalal, B.S. ........................................................................ New Britain, Connecticut

William Freese Kimmer, B.S. ........................................................................... Batesville, Arkansas

Kyle J. Klika, B.S. .......................................................................................... Greenleaf, Wisconsin

Sarah Elizabeth Langan, B.S. ............................................................................. Norfolk, Nebraska

Sara Ruth Langer, B.S., B.S.Ed. ..................................................................... Syracuse, New York

Lana Dee Lewis, B.S. ....................................................................................... Corinth, Mississippi

Alissa Renae Long, B.S. ............................................................................................... Essex, Iowa

Lynn Ann Lowell, B.S. ....................................................................................... Fort Worth, Texas

Jill Lynn Magargee, B.S.  ................................................................................ Brandon, Mississippi

Jennifer Kragenbrink Mallory ......................................................................... Columbia, Tennessee

Alyssa E. Markowitz, M.S., B.E.S. ......................................................... Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Dustin Eugene Martin, B.S. .................................................................................... Wichita, Kansas

Miranda W. Maynard, B.S. ................................................................................ Tupelo, Mississippi

James B. McDaniel, B.S. ......................................................................................... Houston, Texas

Shemeeka L. McFadden, B.S. .................................................................. Florence, South Carolina

Robert C. McGarvey, Jr., M.S., B.S. ......................................................... Chattanooga, Tennessee

Robin Stevenson McKeel, M.S., B.S. .................................................... New Bern, North Carolina

Jerad Lee Meinke, B.S.  ...................................................................................... Lincoln, Nebraska

Amanda Lee Miller, B.S. ................................................................................... Wellington, Kansas

Janet Lynn Monaco, B.S. ........................................................................ Columbia, South Carolina

Michelle Kathleen Mumford, B.S................................................................... Knoxville, Tennessee

Emily Kathryn Nail, B.A. .................................................................................. Tupelo, Mississippi

Emily Jean Naugle, B.S..................................................................................... Marshalltown, Iowa

Aarti Nayar, B.S. ..................................................................................... Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Jaymini Nayee, B.S................................................................................................. Atlanta, Georgia

Christy M. Neeley, B.S. ................................................................................... Jonesboro, Arkansas

Ryan Wesley Nelson, B.A. ......................................................................................... Marion, Iowa

Xuandao Lam Nguyen, B.S............................................................................. Memphis, Tennessee

Lisa Dianne Niven, B.S.......................................................................................... Milan, Tennessee

Elizabeth Gay Nordtvedt, B.S. ................................................................... Brownsville, Tennessee

Kimberly Lewis Oncavage, B.A. ........................................................... Whiteville, North Carolina

Matthew Steven Owens, M.B.A., B.S........................................................... St. Augustine, Florida

Cara J. Patterson, B.S. .................................................................................. Forrest City, Arkansas

William Donald Pentecost, B.S. ...................................................................... Memphis, Tennessee

Tracy Burnett Phillips, B.S. ....................................................................... Philadelphia, Mississippi

Samuel James Presley, B.S. ................................................................................... Tulsa, Oklahoma

Alicia Kaye Price, B.S. ........................................................................................ Deville, Louisiana

Craig John Quintal, B.S. ............................................................................ New Orleans, Louisiana

Ionut Radu, B.S. ............................................................................................. Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Dorian Max Rammell, B.S..................................................................................... Blackfoot, Idaho

Daniel Franklin Reames, B.S.................................................................... Charlotte, North Carolina

John Michael Reed, B.S. ..................................................................................... Forest, Mississippi

Carolanne Hope Roach, B.S. ................................................................. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Lee William Robertson, B.S. ........................................................................................ Ely, Nevada

Kevin Rogers, B.S...................................................................................... Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Matthew Allen Schekirke .................................................................................. Bellevue, Nebraska

Amir Mohamed Shama, B.S........................................................................ Los Angeles, California

Ann Hardin Shaw, B.B.A........................................................................... Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Shannon Franklin Shelley, B.S. ...................................................................... Crossville, Tennessee

Lindsay Lorraine Slemp, B.S. ...................................................................... Church Hill, Tennessee

Christopher Allen Smith, B.S. ................................................................................ Parsons, Kansas

Jordan Dewitt Smith, B.S. ............................................................................ Jamestown, Tennessee

Andrea Nicole Steele, B.S. ................................................................................ Fairbury, Nebraska

Jodi Hayley Streich, B.S. ................................................................................. Wichita Falls, Texas

Ann Morgan Tarter, B.S.  ........................................................................ Campbellsville, Kentucky

William Teague, B.A. ......................................................................... Tobaccoville, North Carolina

Christopher Robert Testa ............................................................................... Rochester, New York

Amy Lynn Thomas, B.S. ........................................................................... Newton, North Carolina

Amanda Trudeau Townsend, B.S. .................................................................... Sallisaw, Oklahoma

Melissa Dianne Turner, B.S. .......................................................................... Muskogee, Oklahoma

Susan Andrea Waller, B.S. ............................................................................ Cookeville, Tennessee

Brandon Wayne Walley, B.S. ......................................................................... Madison, Mississippi

Casey Austin Wells, B.S. ...................................................................................... Manila, Arkansas

Stephen Matthew Wetick, B.S. ....................................................................... Memphis, Tennessee

David Burke Whitemarsh, B.S. ..................................................................... Puyallup, Washington

Jeffrey Ryan Wiedrich, B.S. ............................................................................... Lincoln, Nebraska

Justin Carrol Wilkins, B.S. .................................................................................... Glen, Mississippi

Lauren Parrish Williams, B.S. .................................................................... Sanford, North Carolina

Melinda Sue Williams, B.S.......................................................................... Junction City, Arkansas

Benjamin Christopher Winters, B.S................................................................ Spokane, Washington

Bret D. Wise, B.S................................................................................................... Emporia, Kansas

Dina Ala Witko, B.S....................................................................... St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Lauren S. Woodworth, B.S......................................................................... Raleigh, North Carolina

 

Established in Memphis, Tennessee in 1932, Southern College of Optometry is an independent, not-for-profit institution of higher education with a mission to educate men and women in the art and science of optometry.

###