Spring 2026 Commencement ENG Program

2026

CO M M E NC E M E NT

A S E RV I C E O F C O M M E N C E M E N T May 2, 2026

GATHERING Welcome

Anthony Rodriguez, ‘17, MBA,‘26 Director of University Marketing

Procession

WORD Invocation

Dr. Jacob Youmans Professor of Ministry

Reading: Joshua 1:6-9

Dr. Michelle Abrego Board of Regents

Commencement Address

Dr. Lori Einfalt Associate Professor, Coordinator of M.Ed. Program

Faculty and Staff Awards

Presented by Dr. KC Pospisil, MBA, ‘12 Provost and Vice President of Academics and Administration

CELEBRATING Presentation of the Candidates and Conferring of the Degrees

Dr. Kristi Kirk, ‘95 President and Chief Executive Officer

SENDING Words of Gratitude and Encouragement Benediction

Dr. Kristi Kirk President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jacob Youmans Professor of Ministry

Recession

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.

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Z I E L K E P R O C E S S I O N A L M AC E 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.

ABOU T LOR I EINFALT, PH D Commencement speaker

After 35 wonderful years in the K–12 public school system, Dr. Lori Einfalt is now blessed to serve as an Associate Professor at Concordia University Texas. She leads M.Ed. programs in Principal Preparation, Emerging Technology, and Coaching and Sports Administration, and teaches in both the master’s and doctoral programs.

Dr. Einfalt began her career as a classroom teacher and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including assistant principal, principal, and district leadership. She had the unique privilege of opening a new high school and shaping its vision and culture from the belief system up. She is now committed to preparing future campus leaders and co-authored The PASL Preparation Guide in 2021, which is used in Principal Preparation programs across Texas.

Above all, she is grateful to be married to her husband, Mark, for 43 years, is the proud mother of three adult children, and finds her greatest joy in being a grandmother.

Dr. Einfalt views her work in education as a calling and seeks to serve and lead in ways that reflect Christ’s love and purpose, guided by the belief that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).

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DEGR EE EXPLANAT IONS

Doc tor of Educat ion

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 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.

Acad e mic Honor s 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.

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COM M ENC EM EN T NOT E S 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

Nursing Apricot

Commerce, Business Drab

Oratory (Speech) Silvery Gray

Economics Copper

Philosophy Dark Blue

Education Light Blue

Physical Education Sage Green

Fine Arts, incl. Architecture Brown

Public Administration Peacock Blue

Journalism Crimson

Public Health Salmon Pink

Law Purple

Science Science Gold

Library Science Lemon

Social Work Citron

Music Pink

Theology Scarlet

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HONOR SOCIET IES AND ST U DENT ORGANI ZAT IONS Α Χ | Alpha C hi

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 P i 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 T heta

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 C hi

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 | Sig ma 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 | Sig ma 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 St ud e nt U nion K e nte 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.

C hr ist ian Mission D ist inc t ive P in

The Christian Mission Distinctive pin is awarded to those who served on a mission trip during their time at Concordia University Texas.

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HONOR SOCIET IES AND ST U DENT ORGANI ZAT IONS Concordia Vete ran s Cor ps 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.

Fir st – Ge n e rat ion 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.

Tor nado Trailblaze r s P rog ram 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.

Lat in Am e r ican St ud e nt O r ganizat ion S e rape 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.

L ead e r s w ith Impac t 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.

St ud e nt Gove r nm e nt & L ead e r s hip A ssoc iat ion 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.

Honor s Medal

The purple and gold honors medal is worn by students who received awards within their college or school.

S c hool of Minist r y Stole

Graduates who are completing degrees or programs within the School of Ministry wear purple stoles with white lettering.

VorTe x Stole

Graduates who have served a year or longer as the Concordia University Texas mascot, Vortex, wear the purplelined gold stole to signify their identity as VorTex. The Concordia University Texas mascot embodies the spirit of our Concordia Texas students and often their true identity is unknown to the student body as a whole until later.

The solid gold with purple lining stole is the opposite of Vortex’s costume. Woosh!

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HONOR SOCIET IES AND ST U DENT ORGANI ZAT IONS Concordia U nive r sit y Te xas Pee r L ead e r s Tassel

Concordia University Texas Peer Leaders are students who have served as peer guides for incoming freshmen in the Life & Leadership classes each fall. These students embody the Concordia University Texas values and are role models and mentors for freshmen. They wear the dark purple tassel with their academic gowns.

C T X St ud e nt Clubs and O r ganizat ion s P resid e nt Cords

Concordia University Texas recognizes the dedication and commitment of student club and organization presidents. Their efforts help provide a rich and engaging campus culture at Concordia University Texas and provide different places of belonging for our students. Graduating students who served as a student club or organization president wear the double cord of lavender and purple with their academic gowns.

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CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES Spring 2026

College of Arts & Sciences School of Humanities & Social Sciences Dr. Ann Schwartz, Director

BACHELOR OF ARTS Zabdiel Antu (Multidisciplinary Studies) cum laude Kimberly Baker (Law and Policy) Gilbert Beltran (Psychology) Nestor Castellanos (Multidisciplinary Studies) Madison Cole (Multidisciplinary Studies) Andrew Couser (Multidisciplinary Studies) Christian Everett (Psychology) summa cum laude Flor Fuentes Euceda (Psychology) Ellie Haas (Multidisciplinary Studies) Jamie Haywood (Multidisciplinary Studies) cum laude Sarah Herrera (Criminal Justice & Criminology) Madison Irvin (Law and Policy) Jamian Jackson (Psychology) Abigail Jahnke (Multidisciplinary Studies) cum laude Lydia Laskaris (Multidisciplinary Studies) Armando Lopez (Criminal Justice & Criminology)

Isabella Martinez (Law and Policy) magna cum laude Aria Moreni (Psychology) Reagan Obermeyer (Psychology) Abigail Ordonez (Psychology) cum laude Zalexis Perez (Multidisciplinary Studies) Diego Portillo O’Donnell (Multidisciplinary Studies) magna cum laude Mayson Post (Multidisciplinary Studies) summa cum laude Isabella Ramirez (Multidisciplinary Studies) Andrea Rapier (Multidisciplinary Studies) Ashley Robinson (Psychology) Arianna Rodriguez (Law and Policy) summa cum laude Melissa Torres (Psychology) Josiah Wells (English) Rebecca Williams (Multidisciplinary Studies) Isaac Willingham (Law and Policy) magna cum laude

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CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES Spring 2026

College of Arts & Sciences School of Ministry

Dr. Grant Carey, Director BACHELOR OF ARTS Casey Bartholomew (Religious Education) Elizabeth Brown (Religious Education) cum laude Michael Hughes (Ministry)

School of Natural & Applied Sciences Dr. Eric Staron, Director

BACHELOR OF ARTS Emilio Nouel (Computer Science) magna cum laude

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Dieu Donne Bizima (Chemistry) Selena Cooper (Biology) Joshua Crawford (Computer Science) summa cum laude Samantha Ising (Environmental Science and Conservation) Ella Johnson (Biology) summa cum laude Samual Kang (Biology) Anastasia Kokkas (Chemistry) summa cum laude Yasmine Mills (Computer Science) Christopher Oroxom Ixtabalan (Computer Science) (Mathematics)

summa cum laude

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Santiago Quintanilla III (Biology) Nicole Racinelli (Chemistry) cum laude Elijah Rumbarger (Environmental Science and Conservation) cum laude Easton Teague (Computer Science) Kayla Yancey (Mathematics) magna cum laude

CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES Spring 2026

College of Business & Communication Angela Clements, Director

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION David Castelan Tony Henrio Payton Matthews Lindsay Morgan Joy Peters Anthony Rodriguez Evan Smith

Taylor Smrt Sarah Tempelmeyer Mercedes Vega Serrano Daniel Wakeham Taran Wiedel

BACHELOR OF APPLIED ARTS & SCIENCES Julio Maldonado (Applied Business)

BACHELOR OF ARTS Audrey Frost (Communication) magna cum laude Reed Shuffield (Communication) summa cum laude

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Ahmad Al Hendi magna cum laude Rudy Alba Denni Beltran Guerrero Hailey Benavides-Estrada Mackenzie Berger summa cum laude Travis Brick cum laude Lizette Coronilla Jonathan De La Torre Haylee Diebel Olivia Dummer magna cum laude Kaden English cum laude John Engquist

Lillian Fox Valentina Galeano Ruiz Caleb Golden Zachary Greenberg summa cum laude Jake Lancaster Jacob Limon Jess Lollar magna cum laude Colton Marshburn Branden Myart Aidyn Ogle cum laude Makayla Orr Karla Palacios Jaimes

Austin Pryor cum laude Marisol Salazar Arias Garrett Smith Hunter Smith Logan Smith summa cum laude Parker Smith cum laude Arthur So Luis Suarez Arroyo Eduardo Torres Robert Villarreal Ralph Wallace Nicholas Young

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CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES Spring 2026

College of Education Dr. Stephanie Hartzell, Director

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Dianoly Cancel

¡Así aprendo yo! Language and Biliteracy in Spanish-Speaking Emergent Bilinguals: A Qualitative Study

Amy Chiabotta

Experiences in Literacy Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Shelisha Ervin-Landry

Arie Lefridge

Mind and Spirit Navigating the Interplay of Mental Health and Spiritual Well-Being through Ministry Education

Lara Raesz

An Investigation Between Teacher Quality, Measured by Teacher Evaluation, and Student Achievement, Measured Through Standardized Testing, in a Medium-Size Suburban Central Texas School

The Experiences of African Women with Doctorate Degrees who Graduate from Predominately White Universities

MASTER OF EDUCATION Mathew Armes Jenna Barton Antoine Bush Hilary Davis Rodrick Davis Katherine Derby Alyssia Disher William Donnelly Mariama Fisher Katherine Haecker Christina Hernandez-Rios

Audrey Kelly Destiny Mathews Stephanie Mcvey Adrian Munguia Valeria Valentina Murillo Arbito Dakota Palmer Rayvon Parker Kayla Pena Madison Rather Eric Snead Kenneth Stampe

Erica Talasek Mark Tanner Enrique Trevino Enrique Vasquez Allison Villarreal Lincoln Warren Andrea Weiland Bonnie White Taylor White Donna Williams

BACHELOR OF ARTS Briley Bove (Interdisciplinary Studies) cum laude Elijah Garrabrant (Interdisciplinary Studies) Catherine Hergenrader (Interdisciplinary Studies)

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Brooke Martin (Education Content Curriculum) summa cum laude Camryn Parker (Education Content Curriculum) cum laude

CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES Spring 2026

College of Health Sciences Dr. Amber Shammas, Senior Director

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Isaac Alvarado (Kinesiology) Gage Blackwell (Kinesiology) Emma Chavez (Kinesiology) Devin Hammel (Kinesiology) summa cum laude Connor Meagher (Kinesiology) Madison Poe (Kinesiology) Joey Ramirez (Kinesiology) Kinlea Reeder (Kinesiology) magna cum laude Bryan Rios (Kinesiology)

Mason Vasquez (Kinesiology) Rebekah Wolfmueller (Kinesiology) magna cum laude

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING Kaira Ysabelle Asis Jessica Avila Grace Ayala Virginia Brownfield summa cum laude Kate Campbell Olivia Cass cum laude Leah Castaneda Ava Curry Amireyah Daughtry Kylie Denaro cum laude Chloe Fackler summa cum laude Zavian Florez Kelsey Foster Irma Garibay De La Rosa magna cum laude Angelica Gonzalez Ti’Anna Goodlow Sherrell Hill Caroline Hogg cum laude Keren Hugghins Cynthia Jarvis Patrice Jones summa cum laude

Brittany Lucas cum laude Erik Martinez Cuevas Leslie Mata-Martinez Josiah Nguyen Mariza Nicolas Molly Olivarez Laila Ortiz Christina Owen summa cum laude Sophia Padilla cum laude Scout Payne Kayler Peterman Madeline Scovell summa cum laude Evy Solano Kamran Sotoodeh Sophia Staggs magna cum laude Kimberly Thompson Hailey Thurgood Ronesha Tjung John Ucol Klarissa Vara Calvin Wilkin

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CONCOR DI A U N I V ER SI T Y T EX A S B OA R D O F R E G E N T S Dr. Michelle Abrego Crowley, TX Dr. Sandra Doering New Braunfels, TX Mr. Casey Fisher Austin, TX Dr. Mary Beth Gaertner Magnolia, TX Rev. Lonnie Gonzales Houston, TX Rev. Steve Henze Spring, TX Mr. Scott Linebrink Walburg, TX Dr. Dallas Lusk Houston, TX

Mr. David Meade Arlington, TX Dr. Denise Patrick Cedar Park, TX Mr. Mike Ratke Farwell, TX Mrs. Deborah Rich Herczeg San Antonio, TX Mrs. Sylvia Schmidt La Vernia, Texas Rev. Dr. Stephen Sohns Spring, TX Mr. Lance Thompson Houston, TX Mrs. 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.

V ISION We are the premier university where the adventure of faith, learning, and life-changing experiences leads to meaningful work.

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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 2026 Welcome to the Alumni Association

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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.

SHARE YOUR EXCITEMENT - Use #CTXGrad to share your commencement memories.

alumni@concordia.edu | 512.313.4321

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W I TH G O D W E SH A LL D O VA LI A N TLY. PSALM 60:12