May 15, 2010
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Forty-Seven Southeast Missouri student-athletes received their degrees at the University's Spring Commencement Saturday afternoon. Seventeen student-athletes graduated with honors, including four with perfect 4.0 grade point averages.
The Redhawks were scattered among their 1,173 fellow students in attendance waiting to get conferred by University President Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins. They wore red sashes over their black gowns. The sashes were handed out to the student-athletes in a special ceremony held by the Department of Athletics academic staff and coaches Friday.
Volleyball player Molly Davis, cheerleader Kodie Edmonds, and gymnasts Sandra Blake and Kelley Krengiel finished their undergraduate careers with perfect 4.0 GPAs. They are just four of the 344 undergraduate students in the 137 years of the University to graduate with a 4.0. They each achieved Summa Cum Laude honors, which go to those baccalaureate students who established a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or better.
Baseball players Greg Dambach and Jim Klocke were also among Summa Cum Laude graduates.
Earning Magna Cum Laude honors (baccalaureate students who achieved a cumulative GPA between 3.75 and 3.89) were cheerleaders Amanda Hondel and Kenna Moats as well as tennis player Elise Nattier and football player Dustin Powell. Assistant cheerleading coach Chelcy Holland and Sports Information student assistant MegAnn Schlader also reached Magna Cum Laude status. In addition, Edmonds and Moats were two of 19 students recognized as Honor Scholars.
Gymnasts Amber Garlotte, Jena Nguyen, Rikara Turner and Bryanna Wong, track and cross country runner Juli Koenegstein, women's basketball player and track and cross country runner Szandra Pal and Sundancer Katie Middeke garnered Cum Laude honors (baccalaureate students who achieved a cumulative GPA between 3.5 and 3.74).
Former Redhawks football player Francisco Perez, volleyball player Lauren Scannell and pole vaulter Michele Tanz returned to Southeast Missouri State to obtain their masters degree and was among the short list of graduate students who earned Academic Distinction in the School of Graduate Studies for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher in his program.
Athletic Marketing & Promotions Graduate Assistant Nathan Saverino, CHAMPS/Life Skills intern Natalie Williams and Brooke Pivett (the first Rowdy The Redhawk mascot) also were Academic Distinction in the School of Graduate Studies honorees.
Davis, Hondel and Moats were also honored for being a members of two national honor societies. All three are members of Phi Kappi Phi (for seniors ranking in the upper 10 percent of their class). Hondel and Moats are also members of Phi Eta Sigma (achieving a GPA of 3.5 or better during first one or two semesters of their freshman year).
Davis is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa.
Blake, Dambach, Edmonds, Klocke, Powell, Tanz and Josh Syberg are also members of Phi Kappa Phi.
The College of Health and Human Services had the most student athletes receive their diplomas with 20 Davis, Edmonds, Garlotte, Krengiel, Moats, Allie Borowiak (softball), Funtasia Clark (track), Sonya Daugherty (women's basketball), Chris Gill (track), Bilal Hameed (track), Audrey Harwood (track), Jajuan Maxwell (men's basketball), Szandra Pal (women's basketball, cross country & track), Chris Poindexter (track), Salim Powell (football), Jaunell Pugh (football), Margie Schaeffler (soccer), Linnea Woldtvedt (cross country & track), Juli Koenegstein (cross country & track), and Bryanna Wong (gymnastics) earned degrees from the college.
Sports information student assistants Sean Spinks, Kendal Deason and MegAnn Schlader also graduated from the College of Liberal Arts.
The College of Liberal Arts had 13 student athletes receive degrees; Lesley Adams (women's basketball), Israel Kirk (men's basketball), Jason Brown (football), Ashton Farmer (football), Andrew Glass (track), Johnny Hill (men's basketball), Matt James (football), Dustin Powell (football), Hannibal Vaivao (football), Marvin Anderson (football), Tatianna Cwick (Sundancers) and Robert Anderson (football) are the graduates. Former football player and current New England Patriot Dan Connolly made his return to Cape Girardeau to receive his degree in Liberal Arts.
Sports information student assistant LaDora Armstrong also graduated from the College of Liberal Arts.
From the Donald L. Harrison College of Business nine student athletes received their degrees, they include; Blake, Dambach, Klocke, Crysta Glenn (women's basketball), Lucas Luckett (track), Elizabeth Prewitt-Allen (track), Josh Syberg (baseball), Ryan Taloa (football) and Rikara Turner (gymnastics).
Hondel, Elise Nattier (tennis) and Jena Nguyen (gymnastics) earned their degrees from The College of Science and Mathematics.
Two Redhawks received their degrees from the College of Education. Lauren Bradley (softball) and Katie Middeke (Sundancers) are the graduates.
Assistant cheerleading coach and former cheerleader Chelcy Holland also recieved her degree from the College of Education.
In the School of Graduate Studies, former Redhawks baseball player and Athletic Compliance Graduate Assistant Matt Carter completed his respected Master's program.
He was joined by former Redhawks tennis players Bryce and Drew Kristal and Luz Garcia.
Athletic training graduate assistants Maria Dominguez and D'Anna Kyle, track & field volunteer assistant coach and former pole vaulter Michele Tanz, athletic marketing and promotion graduate assistant Nathan Saverino, CHAMPS/Life Skills intern Natalie Williams, athletic academic advising graduate assistant and former volleyball player Lauren Scannell and former Redhawks football player Francisco Perez also received their Masters degree from the School of Graduate Studies.
