Ouachita celebrates graduates during record-setting Spring Commencement
May 15, 2025
- Chase HartsellOuachita Baptist University honored a record-breaking graduating class in its 138thSpring Commencement ceremony on the front lawn of historic Cone-Bottoms Hall on Saturday, May 10.
The university celebrated 442 graduates – its largest graduating class ever – including those who earned Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education and Master of Business Administration degrees in August 2024, December 2024 and May 2025.
“My time in the curriculum & instruction graduate program was a memorable one,” Kendel Givens, a Master of Education recipient from Little Rock, Ark., said. “I met so many people, and it was fun to hear about and live through different experiences with them. Dr. Gail Hughes does a great job in making sure everybody feels welcomed, and she also does her best to make courses flexible for students’ busy lives. The program helped me tremendously, and I feel so much more prepared for what’s ahead.”
Of the 205 honor graduates in this year’s class, 51 earned summa cum laude status (3.95 GPA or higher), including 29 who completed their degrees with a 4.0 GPA. Additionally, 73 graduated magna cum laude (3.75-3.949 GPA) and 81 graduated cum laude (3.5-3.749 GPA). The Carl Goodson Honors Program commended 42 completers, and Alpha Chi National Honor Society honored 28 of its graduating members.
“Our oldest graduated right after the pandemic at Cliff Harris Stadium,” said Angie Slone, mother of Baylie, a nutrition & dietetics cum laude graduate from Bella Vista, Ark. “With our recent graduate, we got to experience the long-standing tradition of a Cone-Bottoms Commencement. It felt so closely-knit and was right there next to the halls where our girls spent long hours studying, where professors invested in them, where guest speakers shared the gospel and life experiences in Chapel. Our family loved the tradition and looks forward to when Baylie graduates again with her master’s.”
Dr. Myra Houser, associate professor and chair of the Department of History and University Committee chair, led the procession as Commencement marshal. Honorary marshals included retiring emeriti faculty: Dr. Terry Carter, professor emeritus of Christian ministries; Dr. Jay Curlin, professor emeritus of English; Jeanie Curry, assistant professor emerita of accounting; Dr. Johnny Wink, professor emeritus of English; and Dr. Anping Wu, professor and director emeritus of library services.
Members of the senior class delivered the invocation and read Scripture to open the ceremony.
Following Ouachita tradition, Dr. Ben Sells, Ouachita president, led Commencement exercises and delivered the commencement address. His address was centered around the university’s 2024-25 theme, “Intellectual & Spiritual Growth,” which drew from Ouachita’s mission statement.
“Intellectual growth happens at Ouachita because of academically motivated students like you, supported by dedicated families, and who benefit from faculty who invest in you personally,” Sells told the graduates. “Your professors, who have walked alongside you on this journey, can testify to your intellectual transformation.”
“Ouachita provides fertile ground for spiritual development, because of our sincerely held beliefs grounded in Scripture and our conviction that life is lived most abundantly in response to God’s love,” Sells continued. “There’s no standardized metrics for spiritual development, yet we see encouraging evidence in your increasing love of God, with heart and mind and soul; in lives marked by the fruit of the Spirit; in your love for neighbors; and in your witness to the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Jeff Root, dean of the School of Humanities and professor of communications, presented the degree candidates. Sells then conferred the degrees and recognized six graduates as commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army: Stephen Brown, a psychology major from Dardanelle, Ark.; Zander Fields, a graphic design major from Owens Cross Roads, Ala.; Luke Garrison, a biology major from Maumelle, Ark.; Tamia Haney, a criminal justice major from Lake Village, Ark.; Ben Harrod, a business administration/management major from Maumelle, Ark.; and Barry Schnaitman, a communications & media major from Maumelle, Ark.
Ouachita Baptist University, a Christian liberal arts university, is in its 139th year. Ouachita was named the best private college in Arkansas by AY Magazine in 2024. Learn more about the university’s highly personal approach, reflected in a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1, at www.obu.edu.
The full Commencement program with a list of all graduates can be found here.
Photos by Matthew Branch, Matthew Correll, Levi Dade and Joshua Rhine
VIEW AND DOWNLOAD CEREMONY PHOTOS
Gallery password: OBUGrad2025!
VIEW THE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY video
You Also Might Like
Recent
