Southern College of Optometry welcomed 130 new graduates into the profession of optometry on Thursday, May 9, 2019 during the college's annual commencement ceremony held at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis.
Optometrist and entrepreneur, Ronald Blum, OD ’72, delivered the commencement address and received the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of optometry.
Co-Valedictorians were Brian Chado and Larissa Krenk. The class address was given by Class President Amrik Tiwana.
Congratulations to this year's graduates:
- Parth Amin, Southaven, Mississippi
- Ashley Nicole Anastasio, New Orleans, Louisiana; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Sara Arbutus-Duczkowski, Cheboygan, Michigan
- Heather Nicole Ashley, Abingdon, Virginia
- Heather Bae, Yorktown, Virginia
- Kara Elizabeth Barrett, Jacksonville, North Carolina; CUM LAUDE
- Rusha Barua, Calgary, Alberta
- Christianne Belair, Tipp City, Ohio
- Brooke Naomi Blankenship, Pratt, Kansas
- Justine Bolduc, Kennesaw, Georgia
- Daniel Boone, Springfield, Missouri
- Lindsey Sophia Brise, Telkwa, British Columbia; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Elizabeth Cappellari Brooks, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Vikarma Wayne Brooks, Plant City, Florida; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Thomas Patrick Brown Jr., Middletown, Maryland
- Zachary Reed Burroughs, Paragould, Arkansas; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Kelly Marie Cawley, Stuart, Florida; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Brian Charles Chado, Frederick, Maryland; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Mary Patricia Chivetta, Saint Louis, Missouri; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Sohyun Cho, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Kara Elizabeth Clark, Baxley, Georgia; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Sydney Rae Cooper, Gladstone, Michigan; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Elizabeth Ann Davis, Advance, North Carolina; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Jaelyn Charnell DeBerry, Memphis, Tennessee; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Julie Miller Ervin, Dallas, Texas ; CUM LAUDE
- Lindsay Jo Estel, Fairmont, West Virginia; CUM LAUDE
- Anna Paige Fagan, Benton, Arkansas
- Taylor Kristen Ficek, Lincoln, Nebraska; CUM LAUDE
- Colleen Marie Fischman, Buffalo, New York
- Blair Brittingham Flint, Austin, Texas; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Zachary Thomas Ford, Bismarck, Arkansas
- Madilyn Fouse, West Des Moines, Iowa
- Alicia Marie Genilo, Overland Park, Kansas; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Zachary Peter German, Centerville, Ohio
- Amanda Marie Giulietti, Cheshire, Connecticut; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Brittany Elizabeth Glatting, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Taylor Nicole Greene, Corryton, Tennessee; CUM LAUDE
- Emily Sue Haddix, Elkins, West Virginia
- Emily Savannah Hammer, Dandridge, Tennessee; CUM LAUDE
- Victoria Lynn Harlow, Cary, North Carolina
- Jediah William Harrison, Brigham City, Utah; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Courtney Lynn Hegener, Atlanta, Georgia; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Kamil Annan Hill, Vicksburg, Mississippi; CUM LAUDE
- Nathaniel William Hitt, Lincolnton, North Carolina
- Jonathan Kyle Hoaglund, Carroll, Iowa; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Victoria Ashley Howard, Johnson City, Tennessee
- Cayley E. Hyder, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Eric James, Cumming, Georgia; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Kelly James, Ada, Michigan; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Jessica Lynn Jankiewicz, Chicago, Illinois; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Marjorie Elizabeth Jenkins, Dyersburg, Tennessee
- Suzanne Marie Johannes, Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee
- Bailey R. Kennedy, Aledo, Texas
- Sarah Christine Kenning, Hutchinson, Kansas; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Abagail Marie Kirk, Minneola, Kansas; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Julia Brooke Kitchens, Douglasville, Georgia; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Kathryn Joan Koslowski, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Melanie Kovacs, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
- Larissa Elizabeth Krenk, Seward, Nebraska; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Shelby Alyssa Kruse, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Kevin Robert Lambert, Riverton, West Virginia
- Rebecca Lynne Lassley, Jacksonville, Florida
- Jake Bradford Lewis, Lexington, Tennessee; CUM LAUDE
- Cameron James Lindsey, Mechanicsville, Virginia; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Aubrey Layne Long, Benton, Kentucky; CUM LAUDE
- Amanda Ryan Lorencz, New Lothrop, Michigan; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Matthew Lorson, Hope, Kansas; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Lydia Kate Luther, Pontotoc, Mississippi
- Vanessa Raye Manlove, Fargo, North Dakota
- Shelby May, Oxford, Mississippi
- Kristin Marie McArdle, Monroe, Wisconsin; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Matthew Ryan McBride, McKenzie, Tennessee
- Brandon Stuart McChesney, Marion Center, Pennsylvania
- Morgan Lindsey McClintic, Benton, Arkansas; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Elizabeth Anne McDowell, Texarkana, Texas; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Ashley Brooke McGee, Alamo, Tennessee; CUM LAUDE
- Stephanie Renée McMillen, Crestview, Florida
- Blake Elizabeth Novy Means, Memphis, Tennessee
- Royce V. Miles, Starkville, Mississippi; CUM LAUDE
- Doan Thuc M. Moore, Fort Mill, South Carolina; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Spencer Elise Moore, Charlotte, North Carolina; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Annedrea McMillan Morreale, Enterprise, Mississippi
- Mallory Nicole Morris, Clarksdale, Mississippi; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Laura Maurine Mosley, Blue Springs, Missouri; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Eric Andrew Nelson, Summerville, South Carolina
- Kassidy Dawn Nelson, Emmett, Kansas; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Kelsey Newcome, Lebanon, Kentucky
- Jennifer Thi Nguyen, Atlanta, Georgia
- Minh Ha Nguyen, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Katelyn Renee Palmer, Sainte Genevieve, Missouri; CUM LAUDE
- David Alexander Phaup, Newburgh, Indiana
- Mary Kathryn Price, Russellville, Arkansas; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Nicholas Austin Qualls, Memphis, Tennessee
- Kelly Anne Reed, Elk Point, South Dakota; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Stephanie Renee Rice, Springfield, Missouri; CUM LAUDE
- Jennifer Ann Rider, Wichita, Kansas; CUM LAUDE
- Nicholas Christian Risbrudt, Fergus Falls, Minnesota; CUM LAUDE
- Anna C. Roxberg, Overland Park, Kansas
- Shriya Ruparel, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Joel Eric Saslawsky, Memphis, Tennessee; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Will James Sawyer, Jr., Elizabeth City, North Carolina
- Genevieve Gillian Schade, Birdsboro, Pennsylvania
- Samuel Scott, Senatobia, Mississippi
- Caroline Rose Seger, Louisville, Kentucky; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Zachary James Shriver, Burlington, Iowa
- Maria E. Sicco, Miami, Florida
- Brittany Renee Smith, Sardis, Tennessee; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Jennifer Lynne Stewart, Sulphur, Louisiana; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Kaley Danielle Stinnett, Hendersonville, Tennessee
- Laila Tawfik, Leawood, Kansas; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Benjamin McCray Taylor, Raleigh, North Carolina; CUM LAUDE
- Joshua Taylor, Forrest City, Arkansas
- Kelsey Lauren Teneycke, Watrous, Saskatchewan
- Morgan Elizabeth Thorson, Manchester, Iowa; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Amber C. Thulin, Littleton, Colorado
- Amrik Singh Tiwana, Nashville, Tennessee
- Kaitlyn Elizabeth Trahan, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
- Jessica Francine Vickery, Raleigh, North Carolina; CUM LAUDE
- Hannah Elizabeth Vollmer, Logan, Ohio; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- JoAnna Leigh Vrotsos, Fontana, California; CUM LAUDE
- Nicolas Vu, Mission Viejo, California
- Jeromica Bosshera Ward, Greenville, Mississippi
- Jeffrey Kyle Wells, Walnut, Mississippi; MAGNA CUM LAUDE
- Brian R. Williams, Boone, Iowa
- Sarai Williams, Liberty, Kentucky; SUMMA CUM LAUDE
- Zachary Williamson, Brooks, Georgia
- Tiffany Denise Wooten, Winchester, Tennessee
- Taylor Wrege, Bismarck, North Dakota
- Donald Millard York III, Sophia, North Carolina; CUM LAUDE
- Elizabeth Harris York, Lebanon, Ohio; MAGNA CUM LAUDE