MAY 9, 2025
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
COMMENCEMENT
CONTINUED
Special Recognition
B. Keith Faulkner
President
Presentation of Candidates for Degrees
Michael S. Wilder
Provost
Conferring of Degrees
B. Keith Faulkner
President
*Alma Mater
Led by Corey Vanhorn ’25
Hail to thee, O Charleston Southern: Fount of God’s great truth and knowledge. We thy children all sing praises ever more to thee. Source of inspiration, beacon of salvation; Honor, Courage, Faith, and Justice These thou hast taught us day by day. Hail to thee, O Charleston Southern, Alma Mater Hail!
*Prayer of Consecration and Benediction
Michael S. Wilder
Provost
**Recessional CSU Commencement Band
* The audience will please stand.
** The audience will remain in their places until the faculty and graduates have recessed. Join us for a light reception following the ceremony.
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Sydney Michelle Altman *
Hannah Nicole Baldinger †
Felicity Iyhome Angelica Bello-Ogunu
Emma Grace Bennett
Megan Hope Bono *
Tiernan Courtney *
Emily Michelle Cox
Katelyn Lee Gray *
Crystal Amber Hallman
College of Education
Evani Grace Harris *
Ashley Faith Hewett †
Ashtyn Olivia Hock
Daniel Wesley Hood §
Megan Blythe Jacobs
Gabrielle Linnartz *
Tynnley Nicole Lopez §
Elizabeth Grace Lamb Margolis †≈
Macy Hope Pegram *
Hans A. Nielsen College of Business
Amber Elizabeth Rodriguez †
Piper Lou-Ann Shawkey *
Mattie Grace Sires †
Dylan Elliott Stefl *
Emma Joyce Stover †
Reagan Hillary Trantham §
Laura Jo Underwood *
Leandra Diane Watts *
Timothy Patrick Wolfe Jr. *
Hanna M. Ali
Nicole Kitty Arsenault †
Madison Elyse Bailey §
Brooks Cooper Ball §≈
Jonathan P. Bates
Gracen Embrey Beilstein †
Noa Juliana Boyd *
Sarah Elizabeth Brashear
Noelle Bridges
Matthew Bennet Church
Sophia Michelle Cupp †
Kelli Ann Davenport †
Trinity Serena Doctor Shockley
Aliyah K. Dykema
Timothy Keith Ervin Jr.
Kaliana Lauren Fonkert §
Odette Font Garcia *
Madelyn Olivia Gainey †
Jaclyn L. Branch
Mya Clayton
Erika Ann Conway
Kaylee Mae Desler
Timothy John Galunas *
Brady Timothy Goodwin
Jordan Skye Graham
Tyler Paul Henshaw
Abigail Mae Humphreys §
Emma Fay Irish
Skyler Le Jackson †
Brianna Nicole Johnson †
Jake Lee Johnson
Reagan Hope Johnson§
Riley Mae Johnson § Traikon Johnson
Zackary Johnson
Amila Jusufbegovic *
Molly Keane
Taje Kelly
Hannah Elisabeth Lilly §
Alexander Cash Loiacono
Jeffrey Vincent Marshall Jr.
Aidan Lennon McAskie §
Mariana Ortiz López §
David Carlin Osborne
Thomas Ford Ownby
Bryce Joseph Pashke
Juan Fernando Perez Zuniga
Russell Chole Pierce
Ansley Klaudia Prince §
Andrew George Rocci *
Ma'Kayla Cimone Ross †
Keelin Kevonte Scott
Shawn Earvin Michael Simmons ^ Hailey Stanley
Griffin Payn Tarver *
Giao Tran *
Emma Grace Wagner §
College of Adult and Professional Studies
Rinesha LaChelle Grimes †
Ashley Marie Ingram
Lukas Perun *
Emma Elizabeth Reese †
Christopher Singleton
Mandi Marie Smith
Cassidy Adamos Tetrault
Courtney Collins Vereen
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Savanna Alexander
Abby Lynne Allen *
Mario Daniel Andrade
Shelby Elaine Attaway
Anna Brooke Baxley
Catherine Paige Bedard †
Ethan Reidy Brown
Makayla Synclair Carson §
Morgan Adaire Catoe
Katie Hope Chace
Anna Davis
Sha'Mya Latrice Dotson
Trina LeiAnn Downs *
Aubrey Lynn Eudy
Caroline Marie Fleming
College of Nursing
Sarah Kathleen Garner
Krystal Eve Babista Guntinas
Rachel Leann Helm
Amanda Joy Ilagan *
Sarah Bell Jacobs
Ugochi Helen Jamison
JaNya Johnson †
Alexis Paige Juricek
Austyn Nicole Koppe
Felicia La Rosa
Emma Grace Lehman †
Chloe Elizabeth McMurray *
Chloe Elizabeth Miller
Melissa Grace Millis †
Shelby C. Moran
College of Science and Mathematics
Erin Ashleigh Murdock
Sarah Elizabeth Nobles
Nathaniel Tyler Post
Breanna Lee Proud
Natalie Sebban
Madison Patricia Shields
Sutton Monroe Swan
Anna Morgan Tadlock †
Isadora Torqui
Margaret Tucker
Sarah Grace Vander Pyl
Sydney Nicole Vowels
Kaitlin E. White
Jared Andraszek
Brighid Allie Ball *
Amelia J. Bartholow §
Olivia Baynham *
Joseph W. Beasley III
Kirk Josiah Winston Bennett †
Ashley Bodden
Jacob Alexander Braddock
Jaiden Makena Brower
Colby Edward Carter * ≈
Wesley L. Cassel *
Emma Allison Caudill
Stephanie DeLaine Churchwell
Stephanie Colon *
Nickolas Davidson
Savanna P. Disher *
Korey E. Downing
Jenna Melissa Durham §≈
Sarah Emily Durham ≈
Tyler Dale Durst
Emma Corynne Farquhar
Josie Marie Victoria Fineran
Daylan Giovati
Aidrien Nichole Goble
Evan Charles Hack
Hannah Grace Hall
Keegan Joseph Hall †
Jacob Hamacher
Thomas W. Hamilton Jr.
Bethany Noel Harrison
Emily Anne Heape §
Draven L. Hinson
Caroline Grace Jacky §≈
Dylan Alexander Kelly *
Brock Joesph Kuehler
Tyson Alexander LeClaire *^
Abigail Leigh Linder *
Reagan Graham Martin †≈
Kristen Strait Mathews
Mary C. McBane *
Grace D. Molloy
Kayla Nicole Morales
Austin Nathaniel Morrow
Zachary T. Murray †^
Emily Nasto †
Zane Edward Nolan †≈
Ryan Nicholas Ortberg
Keilie Alyssa-Kate Perry †
Jonah Ray Petty
Richard K. Price
Peyton Kelley Purvis §
McKenzie Brooke Reed §
Gavin Charles Justin Reis
Bryson Jay Resh §
Hope Emily Catherine Riesebos §
Griffin Rinner †
Kendyl Ava Rogers §
Alessandro Massimo Russo §≈
Corinna Lee Salter §
Mia Elizabeth Simard
Andrew Lawrence Smoak †≈
Zoe L. Soles
Aaron Lane Squires *
Jackson Bryce Steele ≈
Malik Stewart
Kaleigh Swanson †
Jessica Taylor
Gabriel Tirado
Rachel Van Eck §
Ryan Allen Vanvolkenburg *
James Veloz
Joseph A. Ward
Zachary David Weaver †
Zachary Thomas Wedding *
Raymond Joshua Wells
Mackenzie Wessels †
Taylar Elizabeth White §
Cade Anderson Wiles
Ashley Zimmerman
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Jillian Suzanne Ahrens †
Rylie McCullough Anderson †
Johanna Caroline Austin
Isabella Becerra
Reese Alexandra Beggs *
Peyton Kinard Bennett §
Caroline Grace Blake *
Mikayla Blanco
Anna Catherine Blaser
Ashlyn Daye Bowers §
Madison Valdes
Kayla Burckhaler *
Morrigan Violet Celznick
Jamya Jakalya Chappell
Gary Clemons Cooper jr. *
Braxton Cranmer
College of Health Sciences
Kassandra Mira Di Staulo *
Keilah Mackenzie Walker Duncan †
David Elliott
Juancho Antonio S Galang *
Chloë Renae Greene †
Weslin Gene Jones *
Anthony Mills Jozwick *
Bernabe Manashes Juarez *
Gigi Korotney
Savannah Grey Lackey
Zoreim Lara
Rachel Nicole Martin †
Tim Alonzo McKenney Jr. ^
Taylor Marie Neely
Victoria Franklin * ≈
Kaitlin Isabelle Phillips
College of Christian Studies
Gracie Morgan Prince *
Mauricio Estevan Leal Gaitan
Sarah Faith Richard
Lillian Faye Roberts *
Brooke Ashley Sabins
Luke Allen Shamblin *
Gadsden Elizabeth Shealy †
Emily Sue Sherlock †
Lauren Sydney Smith †
Madison St. Louis
Zoey Rebecca Strickland †
Andrew Taylor Sullivan *
Lia Addison Vargas †
Emma Villaescusa
Zachary W. Friend
Jason M. Green
Felicity Sandra Guinn *
Giovanna Christian Langguth
Maguire Meunier
Gabriel Joseph Monk *
William Graham Morris †
Cainan Brady Norris
Charles William Potts §≈
Skylar Marie Scott §
Kaylin Skiver
Meadow Rose Smith
Jake Thompson *
Alexander Jose Valdes *
Alexander Verastegui
Corey Andrew Wade *
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Iyana Neviah Allen
Emily Anderson
Lindsey Barnette
Jordan Alexis Belcher
Audra Lorraine Bergevin §
Nadia Imani Blackwood
Gavin Clement Bogdanchik *
Kourtney Boivin
Jennifer Rebecca Bonilla-Lagos
Tasheena Marie Borger
Nicholas Daniel Brown †
Lydia Ruth Bryant
Brandon E. A. Carpenter
Eva Vienna Casas §
Savannah Chasteen
Kiah Cirino *
Jillian Davis †
Alex Diaz
Luci Duncan §
Wejden Elmahwechi
Elizabeth Marie England §≈
Madison Floyd *
Madalyn Alyssa Galloway
Brett Gastman †
Sarah Brittany Glenn
Samuel Caleb Grant
Devin Louis Gregg ^
Gabrielle Alane Haney †
Jenean Yvonne Harper *
Nia Imari Harrison
Kiven Hernandez Hernandez †
Joshua Hill
Payton Carley House * Elissa Hucks
Olivia Kay Huggins
Isabella Grace Hunsinger*
Kalin Marie Hutto
Leslie Nicolè Jarvis
Cameron Bray Kosater
Michael John Lamprey II
Annabelle Elizabeth Lane *
Kayla Marie Lass
Samuel Lawing
Mayci Ales Ledwell
Parks Ardrey Ledwell
Noah Patrick Locklear
Evann Long
Emma Caroline Mays *
ACADEMIC REGALIA AND CEREMONY
The history of academic dress dates back to the 14th century. Their use was presumably for warmth in the unheated building during European winters. Now, they are reminders of the years of work required to earn academic degrees. The color and pageantry of the academic regalia prevalent in the United States today was fixed by convention in 1895 and revised in 1932, 1959, and 1986.
There are three basic academic gowns. The gown for bachelor degrees has pointed sleeves and is worn closed. The gown for master degrees has oblong sleeves with slit openings at the elbow and the base hanging down. It is worn with a hood, and the color indicates the discipline of the degree. The doctoral gown is tastefully ornamented with colored velvet down the front and three chevrons on the bell-shaped sleeves. Only presidential gowns have a fourth chevron on the sleeves. Both the master’s and doctor’s hoods have a velvet border, with the doctoral hood being the more elaborate. A gold tassel on the doctor’s cap replaces the black* on the master’s and bachelor’s caps.
The colors lining the hoods worn by the faculty are those of the institution granting the degree and the velvet border indicates the branch of knowledge in which the degree was acquired. The colors for the subjects are:
Arts and Humanities White
Business Drab
Economics Copper
Education Light Blue
Fine Arts Brown
Law Purple
Library Science Lemon
Medicine Green
Music Pink
Nursing Apricot
Philosophy Dark Blue
Physical Education Sage Green
Physical Therapy Teal
Science Golden Yellow
Theology Scarlet
GRADUATION BIBLE
In addition to their diplomas, each graduate will be presented with a CSU Graduation Bible provided through the Frank J. and Brenda B. Johnson Bible Endowment and the Lockman Foundation.
Ashely Teasdel ’05
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
Deputy Secretary, SC Department of Commerce
Ashely Teasdel, a 2005 CSU graduate, is the deputy secretary of commerce for the state of South Carolina.
Teasdel joined S.C. Commerce in 2015, and since 2021 she has worked alongside Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey, helping lead the agency’s globally competitive recruitment strategy for South Carolina’s evolving target industries, securing some of the largest, most pivotal economic development deals on record. The agency guides economic development efforts and focuses on strengthening research and trade relations. She previously served as director of S.C. Commerce’s business services division after spending nearly a decade in the banking sector.
She is a board member for SCbio, the S.C. Economic Developers Association, the S.C. Jobs-Economic Development Authority, and is a former member of the CSU Board of Visitors.
Teasdel’s CSU degree is in business administration and management, and she holds a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Wesleyan University. She is a graduate of the BB&T Leadership Development Institute, the S.C. Economic Development Institute, and the South Carolina Certified Public Managers Program. She and her husband have two daughters.
