Welcome Dan Gregory, ‘06 Vice President of Finance & Administration Procession
WORD
Invocation
Reading: Joshua 1:6-9
Commencement Address
Faculty and Staff Awards
Rev. Dr. Jake Boessling Campus Pastor, Vice President of Faith Identity and Culture
Mr. Casey Fisher Board of Regents
Dr. Monica Yndo Associate Professor of Psychology
Presented by Dr. KC Pospisil, MBA, ‘12 Vice President of Academics
CELEBRATING
Presentation of the Candidates and Conferring of the Degrees
SENDING
Dr. Kristi Kirk, ‘95 President and Chief Executive Officer
Words of Gratitude and Encouragement
Benediction
Recession
Dr. Kristi Kirk President and Chief Executive Officer
Rev. Dr. Jake Boessling Campus Pastor, Vice President of Faith Identity and Culture
We ask that you be courteous to others by turning off all cell phones and electronic devices and refrain from standing in the aisles. While it is appropriate to rejoice at this festive moment, the use of air horns and other disruptive devices is not permitted. Following the service, please remain in your seats until our graduates recess and exit.
ZIELKE PROCESSIONAL MACE
The Zielke Processional Mace is a gift of the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Carved from ebony by the Makonde people of Southeast Tanzania, the mace illustrates Proverbs 4:13, “Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life—guard it well” (TEV). Carved on the mace are students in various roles of study and worship. The symbol of the Trinity and the cross in the world are also carved on the mace. Maces have been used as symbols of authority by governmental and educational entities for centuries. At Concordia University Texas, the mace represents the symbol of authority of the faculty to grant degrees. The mace is named after Dr. Donald Zielke who served as University Marshall for 21 years. Concordia Texas celebrates the life of Dr. Donald “Don” Zielke, who passed away in 2021 after more than 50 years of faithful service to Concordia Texas.
ABOUT DR. MONICA YNDO Commencement speaker
Dr. Monica Yndo is an Associate Professor of Psychology, Department Chair of Psychology, and Co-Chair of the Honors Program at Concordia University Texas. As a first-generation college graduate, she brings a personal understanding of the challenges students face and the transformative impact that mentorship, support, and opportunity can have on their educational journeys. She has been recognized for her student-centered approach that blends academic rigor with meaningful support and connection.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Yndo’s scholarship centers on the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Dr. Yndo is an active contributor to campus culture and community outreach. She frequently speaks on topics such as healthy relationships, service to others, and the experiences of first-generation students. She also leads global education initiatives that promote cultural awareness and broaden students’ understanding of the world.
She is passionate about mentoring students and helping learners recognize their strengths, pursue opportunities with confidence, and connect their personal stories to meaningful academic and professional paths.
DEGREE EXPLANATIONS
Doctor of Education
Concordia University Texas confers the Doctor of Education upon students who have advanced their practical and theoretical knowledge in the field of education through post-master ’s-level coursework, which includes researching, writing, and defending a doctoral dissertation. Candidates for the Doctor of Education degree wear black academic gowns with purple velvet and academic hoods. Hoods are the same color(s) of the college or university conferring the degree (purple and white). Binding or edgings for the hoods are light blue Education.
Master of Business Administration and Master of Education
Concordia University Texas confers master’s degrees upon students who have successfully completed the required credit and have fulfilled all other obligations. Candidates for the Master of Business Administration and Master of Education degrees wear black academic gowns with academic hoods. Hoods are the same color(s) of the college or university conferring the degree (purple and white). The binding or edgings for the hoods reflect the color distinctive of the subject to which the degree pertains.
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Concordia University Texas confers the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees upon students who have completed at least 120 semester hours of valid credit and have fulfilled all other obligations. Candidates for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees wear black gowns.
Academic Honors
Degree-seeking undergraduate students who have earned at least 30 credit hours at Concordia University Texas and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 are eligible to graduate with honors awarded as follows: summa cum laude 3.900 – 4.000, magna cum laude 3.750 – 3.889, and cum laude 3.500 – 3.749. Latin honor graduates wear purple and white cords with their academic gowns.
COMMENCEMENT NOTES
Tradition of Academic Dress
The history of academic dress dates from at least the 12th century, when long gowns were needed for warmth in the unheated buildings used by medieval scholars. Today, gowns from different institutions vary in color, but most are black, except the associate gown, which is gray. Neither the bachelor’s nor the master’s gown features trim, but doctoral gowns are faced down the front with velvet and hold three horizontal bars of the same fabric across the sleeves. Hoods for master’s and doctoral attire are the same color(s) of the college or university conferring the degree. The binding or edgings for the hoods reflect the color distinctive of the subject to which the degree pertains. For academic purposes, the color associated with the different academic subject fields are as follows:
Arts, Letters, Humanities White
Commerce, Business Drab
Economics Copper
Education Light Blue
Fine Arts, incl. Architecture Brown
Journalism Crimson
Law Purple
Library Science Lemon
Music Pink
Nursing Apricot
Oratory (Speech) Silvery Gray
Philosophy Dark Blue
Physical Education Sage Green
Public Administration Peacock Blue
Public Health Salmon Pink
Science Science Gold
Social Work Citron
Theology Scarlet
HONOR SOCIETIES AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Α Χ | Alpha Chi
Alpha Chi - Alpha Chi is a nationally affiliated honor society for juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.50 or greater and who rank in the top 10% of their classes. Members wear blue and green cords with their academic gowns.
Λ Π Η | Lambda Pi Eta
Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is the National Communication Association’s official honor society at four-year colleges and universities. Membership is open to juniors and seniors who have completed at least 12 semester credit hours in communication studies, have a minimum 3.0 overall cumulative GPA, and have a minimum 3.25 GPA for all communication courses.
P L Q | Pi Lambda Theta
Pi Lambda Theta is a nationally affiliated honor society for junior or senior undergraduate, graduate, and certificate/diploma Education students with a GPA of 3.50 or greater. Members wear gold cords with their academic gowns.
Ψ C | Psi Chi
Psi Chi is an international honor society with the purpose to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology. To be eligible, students must rank in the upper 35% of their respective classes in general scholarship, earn an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, and demonstrate superior scholarship in psychology by earning a GPA of least 3.0 or better in psychology courses. Members of Psi Chi wear platinum and dark blue cords or a platinum sash with their academic gowns.
S B D | Sigma Beta Delta
Sigma Beta Delta is the highest nationally recognized honor society for junior or senior undergraduate and graduate students of business management and administration. Members must rank in the top 20% of the class and be invited to membership by the faculty officers. Members wear green and gold cords with their academic gowns.
Σ Τ Δ | Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta is an international academic honor society, with service components in 11 countries and the 50 United States. Members represent all majors as undergraduates and English programs as graduate students. Undergraduates meet a GPA of 3.0 or greater in English, and graduate students meet a GPA of 3.3 or greater. Members wear red and black cords or stoles with their academic gowns.
Black Student Union Kente Stole
Graduates who adorn the Black Student Union Kente stole are members of the Concordia University Texas Black Student Union, a student-run organization committed to sharing and celebrating the African Diaspora with the campus community. Kente cloth is a symbol of African heritage, and the wearing of the Kente stole during commencement is in recognition of students as members of the Black Student Union and as graduates of Concordia University Texas.
Christian Mission Distinctive Pin
The Christian Mission Distinctive pin is awarded to those who served on a mission trip during their time at Concordia University Texas.
HONOR SOCIETIES AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Concordia Veterans Corps Cords
Graduates who adorn the Concordia Veterans Corps Cords are recognized as student veterans by the student organization, which serves to provide support, advocacy, and community for student veterans on campus. The wearing of the red, white and blue cords during commencement is in recognition of students as military veterans and as graduates of Concordia University Texas.
First – Generation Cords
Graduates who adorn the purple and gold braided cords are First-Generation college students. A First-Generation student is whom identifies as first in their family to attend college.
Tornado Trailblazers Program Cords
Graduates who adorn the lime green cords were members of the Tornado Trailblazers Program in their freshman year at CTX. Students in Trailblazers are committed to developing their identity as scholars and leaders and exploring their unique contributions to the world.
Latin American Student Organization Serape Stole
Graduates who adorn the serape stole are members of the Concordia University Texas Latin American Student Association, a student-run organization committed to building and sustaining a community of shared heritage and cultural values. The serape is a symbol of the Hispanic heritage, and the purple in the stole represents the Concordia Texas community’s support of our Latin@ graduates.
Leaders with Impact Stole
Leaders with Impact is an honor society which recognizes student leaders who serve 20 or more hours for a minimum of two semesters with the Concordia Texas Service-Learning Program. All eligible service must be done at organizations that are formal service partners of the Service-Learning Program. The purpose of the society is to give students who are passionate about service a place to grow, serve, and build community among each other.
Student Government & Leadership Association Cords
Graduates who adorn the Student Government & Leadership Association Cords are members of the Concordia University Texas Student Government & Leadership Association, the principal student organization on campus that exists to provide a means of effective communication and cooperation between students and the administration, leading to a beneficial exchange of ideas and programs for improving religious, social, and academic life. The wearing of the red and blue cords during commencement is in recognition of students as members of the Student Government & Leadership Association and as graduates of Concordia University Texas.
Honors Medal
The purple and gold honors medal is worn by students who received awards within their college or school.
School of Ministry Stole
Graduates who are completing degrees or programs within the School of Ministry wear purple stoles with white lettering.
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Fall 2025
College of Arts & Sciences
School of Fine Arts
Dr. Whitney Crowley, Director
BACHELOR OF ARTS
Rachel Krueger (Music) summa cum laude
Carolina Osorio-Aviles (Music)
School of Humanities & Social Sciences
Dr. Ann Schwartz, Director
BACHELOR OF ARTS
Abraham Aguirre (Criminal Justice & Criminology)
Ciro Baeza (Multidisciplinary Studies)
Laura Berry (Psychology)
Spencer Bone (Multidisciplinary Studies)
Maria Carbajal (Psychology)
Grace Coleman (Multidisciplinary Studies)
Jenna Crawford (Psychology) cum laude
Farahnaz Ebadeh Ahwazi (English)
Yesenia Garcia (Psychology) magna cum laude
Jerome Gomez (Behavioral Sciences) cum laude
Princess Jackson (English)
Sutton Lee (Multidisciplinary Studies) summa cum laude
Chance Miller (Multidisciplinary Studies)
Carissa Overgaard (Multidisciplinary Studies)
Krista Pena (Multidisciplinary Studies) magna cum laude
Alejandro Rojas (Psychology)
Daysha Tijerina (Criminal Justice & Criminology)
Melissa Torres (Psychology)
Madeline Velasquez (Psychology) cum laude
Tomishia Williams (Criminal Justice & Criminology)
Maluk Zakzok (Psychology) summa cum laude
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Fall 2025
College of Arts & Sciences
School of Ministry
Dr. Grant Carey, Director
BACHELOR OF ARTS
Ty Broyles (Religious Education)
School of Natural & Applied Sciences
Dr. Eric Staron, Director
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Abdul Bangura (Biology)
Veronica Diaz (Biology)
Savannah Gomez (Biology)
Samuel Kang (Biology)
Hannah Loya (Biology)
Leonardo Reyes Computer Science
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Fall 2025
College of Business & Communication
Professor Angela Clements, Director
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Bailey Andrews
Quincy Bland
Audrey Daniel
Haley Dennett
Leah Divin
Britney Gonzalez
Danielle Hernandez
BACHELOR OF ARTS
Stephen Jones
Matthew Lancaster
Nancy Leon Morales
Natalie Marquez
Cayla Mars
Kenyira Matias
Kayla Olivarez
Sebastian Lambright (Communication) summa cum laude
Kimberly Rodriguez (Communication) summa cum laude
Jessica Soler (Communication) summa cum laude
Lisa Thompson (Communication) cum laude
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Monica Albiter
Carmen Arredondo Juarez
Cristiaan Bieze cum laude
Gary Brown
Adrien Camacho cum laude
Yelitza Castrejon
Ava Coffey summa cum laude
Karen Cux Garcia cum laude
Alessandro Dibenedetto
Ariana Escobar cum laude
Richard Fernandez summa cum laude
Eliana Flores Hernandez
Valentina Galeano Ruiz
Arlen Garcia
Caleb Golden
Lynae Harrison magna cum laude
Carlos Huato
Landon Hyle summa cum laude
John-Wesley Kelley
Derrick Modest magna cum laude
Ana Muldez
Ayden Ryan
Sandia
Nicholas Van Rosendale magna cum laude Belkin Vega-Molina
Alexandra Vitolo cum laude
Carmen
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES Fall 2025
College of Education
Dr. Stephanie Hartzell, Director
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
Zainab Al Lawati
Exploring Burnout Among Nursing Students
Tamara Bell
Teacher Perceptions of Culturally Responsive Strategies with Urban Elementary Classrooms
Dianoly Cancel Asi aprendo yo! Language and Biliteracy in Spanish-Speaking Emergent Bilinguals: A Qualitative Study
Erica Gladney
Secondary Counselors’ Perception of The Prevalence of Cyberbullying on Social Media Platforms and Its Impact on Students
Valerie Haywood Exploring the Lived Experiences of African American School Campus Staff’s Sense of Belonging
Amelia Johnson
Examining Challenges with Minority First Generation College Students
Linda Kay Student Engagement in Online Learning Environments
Narden Khalil
The Perceptions of General Education Teachers Toward Co-Teaching Strategy When Serving Students with Special Needs Students in General Education Classrooms
MASTER OF EDUCATION
Brian Baker
Victor Rodriguez
BACHELOR OF ARTS
Katherine Hawkins (Interdisciplinary Studies)
Celida Lopez (Interdisciplinary Studies) cum laude
Richard Laffey
School Choice In Texas During 2025: What Are the Factors and Perspectives of Parents When Selecting a School for Their Child
Regina Locke
Teacher Job Satisfaction and The Expanded Role in a Post-Covid-19 Context
Autumn Powell
Recruitment And Retention Initiatives for Women in Collegiate Esports: A Descriptive-Interpretive Qualitative Research Study
Talitha Reescano-Law
Student Perceptions of Social Emotional Learning and Well-Being: Equality or Equity
Bryan Shippey
Perceptions and Practices Amid the Emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Qualitative Case Study of Faculty and Student Experiences in Humanities Education
Melissa True Developing Tools for Educator Mental Health and Well-Being in Texas Public Schools
Angenet Wilkerson
An Analysis of Outcomes for Military-Connected Students on Postsecondary Readiness Indicators
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Fall 2025
College of Health Sciences
Dr. Amber Shammas, Senior Director
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Bryan Rios (Kinesiology)
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING
Yvonne Alvarez
Angeles Bautista
Bryan Becerra-Garcia
Chloe Blankenship
April Brinson cum laude
Mckylie Calligan
John Patrick Cogdell
Connor Collison
Sukhpal Deol
Khushi Dhuka
Ezabelle Do
Rachael Drake
Meosha Drew
Isabella Duhamell
Diana Esteves cum laude
Kelechi Greene
Leah Gulley
Nick Harrington magna cum laude
Halle Henderson
Madison Hodges
Thomas Houle
Zarmeen Humayun
Tyler Johnson
Haley Kennedy magna cum laude
Enara Khawaja
Julia Lafortune cum laude
Laine Langston Rogers
Yue Liu
Gisselth Lopez magna cum laude
Juan Lopez
Hannah Louis
Elvira Lozoya
Erik Mack summa cum laude
Gemmarie Maghirang
Melanie Marchant summa cum laude
Heaven Martinez cum laude
Myka Mccraw
Emely Molina
Miliana Molina
Ana Montoya
Stephanie Mulcihy summa cum laude
Nancy Navarrete
Amanda Nelson
Rylee Oborski
Temiloluwa Odukoya
Holly Ogden
Bukola Oyeniyi cum laude
Hannah Penney
Nathalie Claire Perez cum laude
Raney Phillips cum laude
Ruqaiyah Qureshi
Bryan Ray
Amanda Reyna
Olivia Robinson cum laude
Isabella Rodriguez
Savanna Santos
Hailey Thurgood
Anh Tran
Danielle Wysocki
Folasade Yekini
Rebekah York summa cum laude
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY TEXAS
BOARD OF REGENTS
Dr. Michelle Abrego Harlingen, TX
Dr. Sandra Doering New Braunfels, TX
Casey Fisher Austin, TX
Dr. Mary Beth Gaertner Magnolia, TX
Rev. Lonnie Gonzales Houston, TX
Rev. Steve Henze Spring, TX
Scott Linebrink Walburg, TX
Dr. Dallas Lusk, Houston, TX
David Meade Arlington, TX
Dr. Denise Patrick Cedar Park, TX
Mike Ratke Farwell, TX
Deborah Rich Herczeg San Antonio, TX
Sylvia Schmidt La Vernia, Texas
Rev. Dr. Stephen Sohns Spring, TX
Lance Thompson Houston, TX
Betty Voshage Austin, TX
OUR MISSION
Concordia University Texas empowers students of all backgrounds to lead lives of critical thought, compassionate action and courageous leadership. As a liberal arts university rooted in the Lutheran tradition and aligned with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Concordia develops the mind, heart, soul, and body, preparing leaders for lives of service.
VISION
We are the premier university where the adventure of faith, learning, and life-changing experiences leads to meaningful work.
Whether it’s funding student scholarships, academic programming, or campus growth and development, you can have a significant impact on the future of this institution by including Concordia University Texas in your will.
For more information on how you can include Concordia University Texas in your estate plans, contact the Office of Philanthropy at 512-313-5101.
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2025
Welcome to the Alumni Association
STAY CONNECTED - Stay connected with CTX by updating your contact info at concordia.edu/alumni/stay-connected.
Receive invitations to special events, keep in touch with friends and build new connections within a network spanning nearly 100 years of alumni.
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