The Chadron State College Virtual Winter 2020 Commencement will premiere on YouTube today at 2 p.m.

COVID-19 concerns led to changes in the college schedule that included the virtual ceremony and ending the fall semester at Thanksgiving.

The virtual commencement has graduate student John Murphy of Harrison, NE, offering the opening moment of reflection and Jaime Gonzalez of Bridgeport, NE, giving the closing moment of reflection.

The graduation speaker will be Dr. JoAnne Owens-Nauslar, well-known health and fitness expert and Title IX Pioneer.

Following is a list of candidates expected to graduate.The list includes 68 candidates for master’s degrees and 127 candidates for bachelor’s degrees. Honor graduates are designated with asterisks.

***Summa cum laude 3.9-4.0 cumulative GPA

**Magna cum laude, 3.75-3.89 cumulative GPA

*Cum laude 3.6-3.74 Cumulative GPA

Master of Arts in Education | Master of Business Administration | Master of Education | Master of Science in Organizational Management

Bachelor of Applied Science | Bachelor of Arts | Bachelor of Science | Bachelor of Science in Education

Master of Arts in Education

Nebraska

Alliance: Julie Hamburger

Broken Bow: Katrina Shaw

Chadron: Erik Shepherd

Crawford: Sarah Butler

Gering: Brooke Raines

McCook: Joel Arterburn

Mitchell: Tate Acton

Omaha: Cristine Peterson

Ralston: Jerry Dean Saab Jr.

Ravenna: Stacie Loeffelholz

Stuart: Justin Farr

Sutherland: BreAhnna McConnell

Wyoming

Buffalo: Tatum Bourgeois

Casper: Andrew Kennedy

Douglas: Tyler Walker

Gillette: Luke Janssen

Torrington: Jaszmyne Beverly

Torrington: Nancy Ibarra

Alaska

Anchorage: Stephen Belde, Natalie Foley, Laura-Ashlee Kotelman,
Sean Rood, Matthew Witthoeft

Other States and Countries

Jessica Winn, Lancaster, Calif.

Michael Thompson, Waukegan, Ill.

Trevor Conrad, Glendive, Mont.

Angela Arigoni-Mesfioui, Casablanca, Morocco

Nicholas DeLuca, Brick, N.J.

Michael Uthe, Presho, S.D.

Alicia Wright, Madison, Wisc.

Master of Business Administration

Nebraska

Alliance: Gregory Kusek

Chadron: Austin Brown

Chadron: Jessica Humphrey

Merriman: Andrew Fairhead

Ogallala: Jonathan Pierce

Valentine: Jennie Manning

Other States and Countries

Ji Feng, KunShan, China

Adam Gomberg, Morton Grove, Ill.

Mark Cousineau, Rochester, Minn.

John Fansler, Miami, Okla.

Brittney Powell, Conroe, Texas

Master of Education

Nebraska

Aurora: Jason Frew

Chambers: Sarah Badje

North Platte: Haley Milton

Randolph: Bryan Bazata

Scottsbluff: Jill Connell

Wyoming

Buffalo: Aaron Mines

Casper: Nicholas Landess

Cheyenne: Tina El Ghanjaoui

Cheyenne: Skylar Hatanelas

Douglas: Megan Forgey

Thermopolis: Jennifer Cramer

Other States and Countries

Scott Heinze, Ashburnham, Mass.

Matthew Coy, Hill City, S.D.

Melissa Nelson, Rapid City, S.D.

Erin Himmelberger, Sterling, Va.

Master of Science in Organizational Management

Nebraska

Ashland: Logan Finkey

Bridgeport: Erica Misner

Harrison: John Murphy

Other States and Countries

Benjamin Franz, Yuma, Ariz.

Serign Diop, Los Angeles, Calif.

Crae Carpenter, Saint Charles, Ill.

Jacob Sheridan, Culver, Ind.

Stephanie Dixon, Fraser, Mich.

Robert E. Baker Jr., Avon Lake, Ohio

Mikahla Ferguson, Hermosa, S.D.

Jeremy Lane, Weatherford, Texas

Curtis Moffat, Torrington, Wyo.

Bachelor of Applied of Science

Nebraska

Gordon: Tiffany Sandoz

McCook: Cody DeWester

Mitchell: Jenny Keener***

Other States and Countries

Jordan Ferguson***, Waddell, Ariz.

Hailemariam Adal, Aurora, Colo.

Meghan Giorgione, Setauket, N.Y.

Bachelor of Arts

Nebraska

Alliance: Reynaldo G. Valdez III

Brady: Keifer Burke

Brady, NE: Jill Miller*

Broken Bow: Tori Meschke***

Chadron: Jenna Banzhaf, Colby Ellis*, Joseph Ritzen

Cody: Micheal Heath

David City: Matthew Kindler

Gering: Elizabeth Bernhardt, Jefferson Lenoir, Brittany Richards*

Gordon: Jodi Elsea, Robin Ferguson, Amanda Geyer

Grand Island: Kennadi Findley*, Abigail Swanson**

Gurley: Krystle Odell

Henderson: Breanna Daly***

Kimball: Jodell Schulte

Norfolk: Abigil Smith

North Platte: Kelsey Epp

Oakland: Carter Thiele

Ogallala: Grant Packard

Oshkosh: Melissa Dodge***

Paxton: Derek Beckius

Red Cloud: Emily McCleary

Riverton: Teah Colvin**

Rushville: Maddison Cox

Scottsbluff: Brandon Davenport**, Kyle Kuxhausen, Amanda Otto

Sprague: Danielle Drevo***

Wolbach: CaLee Ann Thomsen

Colorado

Colorado Springs: Samuel McKinley

Erie: Rocklyn Wortham**

Evergreen: Kelly Murphy

Fort Collins: Emily Santero

Fort Morgan: Trevor Link, Alexander Mai

Fountain: BriYanna Lyon

Greeley: Leah Guerrero

Loveland: Allie Mason

Wheat Ridge: Natalie DiManna

Windsor: Natasha Schwartz

Wray: Beau Beckman

Yuma: Christopher Harding, Ty Thurston

South Dakota

Hot Springs: Kaylee Hills*

Philip: Jace Giannonatti

Pierre: Jolee Smith

Rapid City: Brittney Peters, Megan Riley, Ingrid Savery, Cole Thurness

Spearfish: Phoebe Caldwell

Wyoming

Cheyenne: Logan Kasten, Linda Skorcz

Douglas: Kylee Lindbo

Glenrock: Devin Fulton

Greybull: Cassandra Reiter

Kemmerer: Morgan McClaren

Osage: Catherine Orban

Riverton: Jaitlyn Pettit

Torrington: Madison Margaret Bloodgood, Kaye Cunningham, Mikayla Zurcher

Other States and Countries

Lucinda Archibald, Palmer, Alaska

Brian Rodriguez-Flores, Phoenix, Ariz.

Travis Wilson, Fresno, Calif.

Marvin Raphael Williams Jr, Los Angeles, Calif.

Jeremy Brown, San Diego, Calif.

Tearica McGee, Lake Park, Ga.

Loren Ritter, Adel, Iowa

Bimal Sah, Medford, Mass.

Jack Meegan, Bel Air, Md.

Kyle Bloomquist, Raymond, Minn.

Olivia DeMontigny, Billings, Mont.

Sadie Sheppard, Fargo, N.D.

Victoria Zorn, Effort, Pa.

Veronica Ruiz Leon*, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Samar Ayele*, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Billy Johnson, Cedar Hill, Texas

Allison Vincent, Seattle, Wash.

Tafadzwa Dzviti, Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Bachelor of Science

Nebraska

Gordon: Benjamin W. Wegner

Plainview: Kailee Rafert**

Scotia: Shantelle Roy*

Other States and Countries

Stephanie Mendoza, Ridgecrest, Calif.

Edward Anthony Smercina III, Craig, Colo.

Haylee McKeehan, Falcon, Colo.

Elijah Etter*, Paonia, Colo.

Maria Peterson, Moundridge, Kan.

Lindsey VanderMay, Long Valley, S.D.

Louis Charles Christopher IV***, Roanoke, Texas

Bachelor of Science in Education

Nebraska

Bridgeport: Jaime Gonzalez, Riley Hall**

Chadron: Vonsinh Sayaloune

Gering: Peter Gene Hernandez III*

Gurley: Abbegail Draper*

Harrison: Morgan Kling***

Lewellen: Theresa Barnhart***

Mitchell: Gayl King

Oconto: Shayla Dockweiler

Republican City: Tristin Eddy

Rushville: Shauna Coburn***, Maddison Cox

Scottsbluff: Cooper Buchhammer, Rebecca Delzer, Mercedes Feid, Avery Krentz***

Sidney: Amy Neumann

Other States and Countries

Tara Medigovich, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Brianna Templeton, Bennett, Colo.

Mattie Duzik***, Craig, Colo.

Peyton Flack***, Kersey, Colo.

Kendyl Moody, Lakewood, Colo.

Jalee Johnson, Custer, S.D.

Shawna Turner***, Hill City, S.D.

Jessica Whetham***, Greybull, Wyo.

Becky Moody, Wheatland, Wyo.

—CSC College Relations

Title IX Pioneer, Health And Fitness Expert JoAnne Owens-Nauslar CSC Grad Speaker

Dr. JoAnne Owens-Nauslar, the speaker at the Chadron State College Virtual Winter Commencement, is a 1970 CSC graduate who went on to become a pioneer in Title IX, a health and fitness expert, and well-known motivational speaker.

Owens-Nausler has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from both CSC and UNL – the UNL Athletic Dept also presenting her with the Trailblazer Award for her contributions to women’s athletics.

She was recognized this year by the Nebraska Sports Council as the Joe Neal Memorial Volunteer of the Year, while past honors include Healthy American Fitness Leader, a Presidential Citation from the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, and the R. Tait McKenzie Award from SHAPE America.

Following graduation from CSC in 1970, she returned to teach in her hometown, where she had been a champion bull rider as a young teen. She convinced the Newcastle school board to create girls’ teams in volleyball, basketball and track, and then she coached all three sports.

Owens-Nauslar went on to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and along the way continued to advocate for women’s rights in athletics. She was part of a group of women who traveled frequently to Washington D.C. to lobby Congress for gender equity legislation.

“You march on Washington and you get thrown out of really nice places,” she said of the experience. “During my 45-year career, we have had to go back to Washington a number of times to continue to defend Title IX,” she said.

She was the Director of Health and Physical Education for the Nebraska Department of Education for nearly two decades and the Director of Professional Development for the American School Health Association for one decade. She has also been the Director of Corporate and Community Relations for Walk 4 Life, Inc. and the Vice President of Partnerships with GeoMotion Group.

Owens-Nauslar is active in the professional associations affiliated with health and fitness. She has been president of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, and president of the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America at the state, regional, and national levels. She is an active volunteer for the American Heart Association, Lincoln Public Schools, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Cornhusker State Games. Her ongoing service to CSC includes a current stint on the Foundation Board.

She is the owner and operator of Fitness Is Living, a motivational, public speaking, mentoring and training company, and has written two books and numerous articles for journals and health and physical education curriculum guides.

Owens-Nauslar also raises Texas Longhorn and Angus, quarter and paint horses, and llamas near Lincoln and Newcastle, Wyoming.