Southern College of Optometry welcomed 129 new graduates into the profession of optometry on Thursday, May 4, 2017 during the college's annual commencement ceremony held at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis.
Diane Rudner, Board Chair of the Plough Foundation, delivered the commencement address. She received the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in recognition to her service to Memphis and philanthropic causes.
Also receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree was Marion Goldstein Rosemore. The wife of the late Fredric M. Rosemore, OD '48, Mrs. Rosemore has been an active supporter of optometric education and is the matriarch of an optometry legacy family which includes her daughter and seven grandchildren earning optometry degrees.
Valedictorian was Derek Hennig; Salutatorian was Meagan Williams. The class address was given by Class President Shay Sechler.
Congratulations to this year's graduates:
- Kevin Raymond Ader Jr., Baltimore, Maryland; CUM LAUDE
- Ghaith M. Al-Sowaidi, Deer Lodge, Tennessee
- Leslie Alitz, Rock Port, Missouri; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Ayushi Amin, Southaven, Mississippi
- David Bradley Anders, Winnsboro, Louisiana
- Sarah Elizabeth Anderson, Bristol, Tennessee
- Lindsay Jordan Armagon, Union City, Georgia
- Matthew Harris Armentrout, Richmond, Virginia
- Celeste Angelle Baker, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Celia R. Baker, Louisville, Kentucky; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Timothy Edwin Bass, Dunn, North Carolina; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Zachery Baumfalk, Lincoln, Nebraska; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Laura Bokemper, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Tyler Ross Boone, Clarksville, Tennessee; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Hai An Bui, Champaign, Illinois
- Emily Knox Caldwell, Pontotoc, Mississippi
- Rebecca Jean Callahan, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Bradley Calvin Callister, Orange County, California
- Whitney P. Carow, Perham, Minnesota; CUM LAUDE
- Taylor Jean Chesnut, Johnston, Iowa; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Tiffany Lauren Chin, Oakland, California
- April Chiu, Tucson, Arizona
- Cameron Waters Clinard, Bath, North Carolina; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- David Lauren Clokey, III, Gadsden, Alabama
- George Christopher Cora, Greenville, Mississippi
- Christine Marie Craig, Manakin Sabot, Virginia; CUM LAUDE
- William Parker Dodd, Corinth, Mississippi
- Kristopher Charles Dowding, Jacksonville, Florida
- Cara Marie Eby, Huber Heights, Ohio; CUM LAUDE
- Emily Kate Eisenhower, Newport, Tennessee; CUM LAUDE
- Jennifer Elumelu, Duluth, Georgia
- Taylor Nicole England, Morristown, Tennessee
- Caroline Kaleel Fogleman, Asheboro, North Carolina; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Inga Lilliana Fors, Memphis, Tennessee
- Timothy H. Foutch, Liberty, Tennessee
- Douglass Robert Fruin, Grand Island, Nebraska
- Alexander Joseph Garibay, Tampa, Florida
- Peyton E. Glass, Atlanta, Georgia
- Rebecca Ann Goad, Clarksville, Tennessee
- Jarrod Luke Griffis, K’ville, Georgia
- David Charles Haba, Memphis, Tennessee
- Jordan Leigh Hamric, Bruceton Mills, West Virginia; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Staci M. Harwell, Douglasville, Georgia; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Rebecca Marin Haut, Staffordsville, Kentucky
- Erick Andrew Henderson, Danville, Illinois
- Sarah Paige Henderson, Kansas City, Missouri
- Derek Bryan Hennig, Charleston, Illinois; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Christopher Herring, Starkville, Mississippi
- Catherine Marie Hogan, Greensboro, North Carolina; CUM LAUDE
- Michael E. Hollins Jr., Kansas City, Missouri
- William Zachery Inboden, Trumann, Arkansas
- Alex Mitchell Jackson, Milan, Tennessee; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Alyssa Goodin Jackson, Wynne, Arkansas
- Lauren Brooke Jensen, Texarkana, Texas
- Patrick C. Jones, Mickie, Tennessee
- William James Calvin Jones, Prattville, Alabama
- Erin Alyssa Keim, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Zachary David Lancaster, Le Mars, Iowa
- Amanda Michelle Lapp, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Maria Anna Lavalle, Royston, Georgia; CUM LAUDE
- Stephen M. LeBlanc, Alexandria, Louisiana
- Tyler Dean Lefeber, Harlan, Iowa
- Nathan Ray Lipe, Van Buren, Arkansas
- Stacey Alma Looper, Blaine, Kansas
- Jacob David MacDonald, Anderson, South Carolina
- Mark Rosica Machen, Forrest City, Arkansas
- Lauren Marie McCain, Dothan, Alabama
- Mason Douglas McCain, Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Justin Lee McElroy, Natchez, Mississippi
- Max E. Melberg, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; CUM LAUDE
- Joanna Marie Macatula Miranda, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Hunter Jay Morgan, Fairmont, West Virginia; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Tindall Dawkins Morrison, Starkville, Mississippi
- Courtney Faatin Morrow, Nashville, Tennessee
- Michelle Rose Moscow, Roswell, Georgia; CUM LAUDE
- Benjamin Grant Nielson,Post Falls, Idaho
- Daniel Glenn Nielson,Post Falls, Idaho; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Lay Vuon Nim, Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Jacob Daniel Nordhues, Grand Island, Nebraska
- Ashley Elise Oakes, McComb, Mississippi; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Matthew Ryan Page, Crossville, Tennessee; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Taylor Rhea Pasley, Memphis, Tennessee; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Sara Elizabeth Petska, Grand Island, Nebraska; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Sean Francis Pinard, Newport Center, Vermont
- Hallina Nicole Portner, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Clinton Roger Prestwich, Rigby, Idaho; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Anna Rose Prier, Dyersville, Iowa
- Laura Elizabeth Prindeze, Pasadena, Maryland; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Ibrahim Saaddin Qattan, Mansfield, Texas
- Sarah Nicole Rappach, Clearwater, Florida; CUM LAUDE
- Adam Quinn Recknagel, Saint Albans, West Virginia; CUM LAUDE
- Kevin Andrew Rice, Springfield, Missouri; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Bradley Joseph Richlin, Los Angeles, California
- Emily Clare Ridge, Courtland, Mississippi
- Lauren Dallas Rigsby, Greenville, South Carolina; CUM LAUDE
- Benjamin G. Roach, The Woodlands, Texas; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Lisa Elizabeth Roach, The Woodlands, Texas; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Sarah Ann Rohr, Iowa Falls, Iowa
- Shalon Rothstein, Albany, Minnesota; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Cristina Sandoval, Ocoee, Florida; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Shay A. Sechler, Brighton, Missouri; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Roxanne Senechal, Coral Springs, Florida; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Lauren Michelle Seutter, Kansas City, Missouri; CUM LAUDE
- Evan Jared Shields, Louisville, Kentucky; CUM LAUDE
- Kaitlin Nicole Short, Belleville, Arkansas
- Keith Slayden, Hebron, Kentucky; CUM LAUDE
- Andrew T. Smith, Meridian, Idaho; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Kayla Landon Smith, Morning View, Kentucky; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Jacob L. Stallbaumer, Andover, Kansas
- Stephanie Michelle Stanley, Huntsville, Alabama
- Jenna Michelle Steffen, Winfield, Kansas
- Tiffany HN Tang, Oak Brook, Illinois
- Sidney Dunn Taylor, Senatobia, Mississippi
- Matthew H. Thibodeaux, Monroe, Louisiana
- Danielle LeBlanc Thompson, Mandeville, Louisiana; CUM LAUDE
- Joshua D. Tinsley, Talladega, Alabama
- Stephen Thomas Tipton, Springfield, Missouri; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Bryan Truong, Prince Rupert, British Columbia
- Sandra Anna Trybus, Marvin, North Carolina; CUM LAUDE
- Sarah Louise Vrotsos, North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Matthew G. Walker, Moscow, Idaho
- Lisa Wang, Lexington, Kentucky; CUM LAUDE
- Whitney Caitlin Delaine Watson, Whitesburg, Kentucky; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Zachery R. Weinberg, Louisville, Kentucky
- Mark Wells, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Jennifer Allen Willcox, Memphis, Tennessee; CUM LAUDE
- Meagan Greer Williams, Pensacola, Florida, SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Lindsay Marie Wood, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Justin Corey Zampella, Oxford, Mississippi
If you were unable to watch the live-stream of the ceremony, you can now view the recording on SCO's YouTube channel.
We've uploaded more than 900 photos from 2017 Graduation Week to our Flickr galleries. View photos from all of the week's events, including the senior awards program and the family campus celebration: