PLAINVIEW, TX — Wayland Baptist University awarded degrees to 114 graduates during Spring 2026 commencement exercises held Saturday afternoon in Hutcherson Center on the university’s Plainview campus.
Dr. Donna Hedgepath, president of Wayland Baptist University, conferred degrees after candidates were presented by Dr. David Bishop, vice president of external campuses. She was assisted by Carole Harbison, secretary of Wayland’s Board of Trustees, along with Dr. Joshua Mora, professor of Spanish, and Julie Bowen, university registrar and executive director of academic records.
Attorney and university trustee Noe Valles of Lubbock delivered the commencement address. A first-generation college student and 1988 Wayland graduate, Valles serves as senior partner at Glasheen, Valles & Inderman, LLP.
John Wesley Bray III, a graduating senior from Frisco, delivered the student address. Trinity Renee Davis, a graduating senior from Midlothian, read scripture, and Ashley Ortiz Montoya, a graduating senior from Chihuahua, Mexico, gave the benediction.
Candidates for graduation included three students receiving doctoral degrees, 28 students receiving master’s degrees, 81 students receiving bachelor’s degrees and two students receiving associate degrees.
Graduates participating in commencement exercises included:
Doctor of Philosophy
Tre Raheem Hinds, Management, Bridgetown, Barbados
Petra Howard, Management, Dallas, TX
Troy Morton, Management, Baltimore, MD
Master of Arts in Counseling
Lisa Marie Alonzo, Clinical Counseling, Lubbock, TX
Tiffany Ann Cortez, School Counseling, Lubbock, TX
Kimberly M. Elder, Clinical Counseling, Lubbock, TX
Jeanette Galan, Clinical Counseling, Lubbock, TX
Josi Kay Villanueva, Clinical Counseling, Snyder, TX
Kenley Reese Yocom, Clinical Counseling, Ralls, TX
Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
Ruby Tovar, Anchorage, AK
Master of Arts in History
Olivia Magee, Levelland, TX
Master of Business Administration
Jacob M. King, Business Analytics, Plainview, TX
Jeffrey T. Lucido, Management, Colorado Springs, CO
Dylan David McDougal, Cybersecurity, Moore, OK
Master of Education
John William Green III, Professional Studies, Las Vegas, NV
Jace Sanchez, Professional Studies, Dimmitt, TX
Fany Smith, Secondary Education, Managua, Nicaragua
Master of Legal Studies
Ryiann Araujo, Plainview, TX
Master of Public Administration
Naomi M. Mateus, Community Leadership, Charlotte, NC
Master of Science in Business Analytics
Keerthi Priya Ayanampudi, Visakhapatnam, India
Daniel James Dominico De Mello, London, England
Charles P. Hardman, Ascot, England
Melisa Calderón Holguín, Cali, Colombia
Pranathi Potluri, Ponda, Goa
Ayesha Siddiqui, Hyderabad, India
Selma Sutaj, Podgorica, Montenegro
Jamol Sharad Ryan Williams, Ashton Hall, Barbados
Master of Science in Information Technology
Daniel Venkata Ratnam Arugula, Dallas, TX
Roshan Dappu, Sangareddy, India
Sindhura Naik Dharavath, Hyderabad, India
Giorgio Zanferrari Valle Ramos, Curitiba, Brazil
Bachelor of Applied Science
Bruno Manoel Alvares da Silva, Applied Science, Goianira, Brazil
Rayanna Joy Heppner, Music, Seminole, TX
Peter Lawrence Jackson Jr., Management, Washington, D.C.
Bailey R. Jones, Applied Science, Littlefield, TX
Benjamin Kasparie, Business Administration, Quincy, IL
Martyna Anna Lewinska, Banking & Finance, Wieliczka, Poland
Kenneth L. Mareko, Applied Science, Honolulu, HI
Alan Wayne Strawderman, Applied Science, Waldorf, MD
Jaylin Weathers, Applied Science, Pensacola, FL
Bachelor of Arts with Honors
Trinity Renee Davis, Humanities, Midlothian, TX
Bachelor of Arts
Jeremy William Bolligar, Criminal Justice Administration, Phoenix, AZ
Joseph P. Galvan, History, Amarillo, TX
Marques R. Hall, English, Center, TX
Johnathon I. Ortegon, Psychology, Amarillo, TX
Marjome Otha Rachel, Media Arts, Cypress, TX
Adán Villa, Media Arts, Plainview, TX
Bachelor of Business Administration
Berkley Bradley, Accounting, Canyon, TX
Branson Allen Cole, Accounting, Fort Worth, TX
Brais Sotelo Gonzalez, Digital Marketing, Moaña, Spain
Tate Matthew House, Cybersecurity, Waco, TX
Elliot Edosa Idehen, Economics/Finance, Urbandale, IA
Arcadio Guillermo Martinez, Business Analytics, Tulia, TX
Andy May, Economics/Finance, Amarillo, TX
Francis Motsi, Accounting, Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe
Alex Neri, Economics/Finance, Frosinone, Italy
Gabriel Uriah Sánchez, Business Analytics, Longview, TX
Amber Lai Wah Seay, Management/Marketing, San Jose, CA
Branin Seibert, Sports Management, Wylie, TX
Reaghan Colleen Stanton, Management/Marketing, Lubbock, TX
Darius Jaden Steen-Jones, Management, Austin, TX
Joshua Sylliaasen, Economics/Finance, Austin, TX
Mariia Syzonenko, Management/Marketing, Dnipro City, Ukraine
Niklas Thiel, Management/Marketing, Bielefeld, Germany
Makayla Rayne Westfall, Management/Marketing, Fort Worth, TX
Bachelor of Christian Ministry with Honors
Marco Arturo Flores, Christian Ministry, Idalou, TX
Bachelor of Christian Ministry
Ashley Ortiz Montoya, Christian Ministry, Chihuahua, Mexico
Janice L. Ridgeway, Christian Ministry, Anchorage, AK
Bachelor of Science with Honors
John Wesley Bray III, Criminal Justice Administration / Psychology, Frisco, TX
Garrett A. DeYong, Computer Science / Mathematics, Waco, TX
Bachelor of Science
Abcde M. Aguilar, Criminal Justice Administration, San Antonio, TX
Natalie Lynn Ambriz, Chemistry, Muleshoe, TX
Collin Arnold, Exercise & Sport Science, Kaufman, TX
Tess N. Barnett, Exercise & Sport Science, Salem, OR
Elaina Raquel Barrientes, Biological Sciences, Lubbock, TX
Emmett E. Bivens, Exercise & Sport Science, Allen, TX
Frances Brittain, Mathematics, Clarendon, TX
Mikayla Lizette Carrillo, Biological Sciences, Plainview, TX
Joshua A. Corn, Fitness Management, Von Ormy, TX
Aaron Debus, Exercise & Sport Science, Heimerdingen, Germany
Inmaculada Felipe Delgado, Computer Science / Mathematics, Seville, Spain
Maison Dickinson, Criminal Justice Administration / History, Abilene, TX
Dylan P. Dodd, Chemistry, Big Lake, TX
Ethan James Frank, Exercise & Sport Science, Deer Park, WA
Gabriel Martin Garcia, History, Amarillo, TX
James Andrew Hall, Fitness Management, Farwell, TX
Carlee Renee Heidebrecht, Criminal Justice Administration / English, Calgary, Canada
KeAmodre Netrevian Horace, Exercise & Sport Science, Center, TX
Ava Alexandria Kent, Biological Sciences, Lancaster, CA
Aidan M. Landenberger, Molecular Biology, Cisco, TX
Adrian E. Lara, History, Lubbock, TX
Brett J. Leach, History, Andrews, TX
Leonard Lebrun, Mathematics, Paris, France
Alexis Lopez, Criminal Justice Administration, Plainview, TX
Azalia Estephanie Lozano, Criminal Justice Administration, Christoval, TX
Marcus McLemore II, Psychology, Midlothian, TX
Faderera Adeola Ogunbade, Psychology / English, Calgary, Canada
Juanita Pardo, Psychology, Bogota, Colombia
Danyl N. Pippin, Criminal Justice Administration, El Paso, TX
Paula Andrea Cubillos Sanabria, Fitness Management, Bogota, Colombia
Rogelio Saucedo Jr., Molecular Biology, Plainview, TX
Jordan A. Schlageter, Biological Sciences, Lenoir, NC
Emily E. Sigala, Mathematics, Plainview, TX
Erin Raquel Trevino, Biological Sciences, Floydada, TX
Jadyn Trusler, Exercise & Sport Science, Dalhart, TX
James Bret Willburn, Mathematics, Amarillo, TX
Emme S. Wilson, Biological Sciences, Sandy, UT
Faith Mae Wooley, Environmental Studies, Hillsboro, OR
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies
Andrea M. Baeza, Elementary Education, Plainview, TX
Emma Lee Camillo, Elementary Education, Maricopa, AZ
Jenna G. Garcia, Elementary Education, Plainview, TX
Brianna Grace Haines, Elementary Education / Special Education, Olton, TX
Associate of Applied Science
Hazel Emily Marie Torres, Business Administration, Sundown, TX
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Ashley N. Oneal, Beaumont, TX
Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
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