OBU honors graduates at commencement

ARKADELPHIA — Ouachita Baptist University celebrated 293 graduates during its 130th spring commencement on May 13 with university officials conferring Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Associate of Arts degrees.

This year’s graduating class featured 135 honor graduates, including 25 who graduated summa cum laude with a grade-point average of 3.95 or higher, 44 who graduated magna cum laude with a 3.75 GPA or better and 66 who graduated cum laude by earning a GPA of at least 3.5 GPA.

Ben Sells, Ouachita president, presided over the annual commencement exercises. University officials also recognized 16 graduates who completed Ouachita’s Carl Goodson Honors Program and 30 members of the Alpha Chi national honor society.

Local students to graduate were:

Bismarck

Hayden Thornton, Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics.

Hot Springs

Devin Austin, Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication and Political Science; Tye Boudra-Bland, Bachelor of Arts in History and Psychology; Kendra Caddell, Bachelor of Arts in Sociology; Jordan Cole, Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration/ Management; Ali Kinsey, summa cum laude, Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration/Management and Marketing and Mass Communications; Abbey Little, cum laude, Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Political Science; Emily Long, December 2016 graduate, magna cum laude, Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration/Finance; Brandon Lovelady, Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Performance; Elizabeth Standage, August 2016 graduate, Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies/Christian Missions; Caroline Twyford, cum laude, Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish; Lainey Weatherford, cum laude, Bachelor of Science in Biology; Angela Wilkinson, cum laude, Bachelor of Arts in Accounting; Mariah Willis, Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Psychology; Riley Wilson, August 2016 graduate, Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology/ Leisure Studies Pre-Professional.

Jessieville

Will Combs, Bachelor of Science in Physics.

Malvern

Grace Purifoy, Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders; Christina Stephens-Kover, Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies/ Christian Ministry; Austin Warford, Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology/Fitness.

Royal

Taylor Graves, December 2016 graduate, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.