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Alumni/Friends Class Notes
English alumna Angela Benninghoff successfully defended her thesis and earned her master's from MTSU. She was also selected as a recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Essay Award for the 2025 issue of Scientia et Humanitas. Benninghoff is now teaching English as an adjunct at Nashville State and Columbia State community colleges.
This little lamb, Llayna Ann Mitchell-Booher, was born Feb.18 to Stephen Mitchell and Honors alumna Rachel Booher. She has all the brightness and energy that her name encompasses, being taken from Greek origins meaning “light” or “torch.” Her parents pray this name, symbolizing illumination and positivity, will pave the way for a bright, fulfilling life full of light and love. Booher, who graduated in 2023 after studying Japanese, is now working on a master’s in English at MTSU.
Rashieq Cockerham, pictured above, a Buchanan Fellow, was granted his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating in May with a degree in Biology. He also was awarded the Veteran Leadership Award and was selected as a recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Essay Award for the 2025 issue of Scientia et Humanitas.
Anna Collins, a 2024 Agribusiness graduate, was awarded the national Phi Kappa Phi Pioneer Award.
Claire Crowell, a 2008 Foreign Languages (French) graduate, was named president of A. Marshall Hospitality, which operates restaurants such as Puckett’s, Deacon’s New South, and Scout’s Pub. Crowell will spearhead strategic direction for the organization, which now has nearly 500 employees.
A May 2024 Honors College graduate with distinction, Antonio Dodson completed his Master of Accountancy in December 2024.
Hector Hernandez, a Buchanan Fellow who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 2021, completed his Master of Education in the summer of 2025, also from MTSU.
Buchanan Transfer Fellow Deanna Lack, pictured above, who recently completed a double major in Religious Studies and Sociology, received a full-ride scholarship to the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.
Foreign Languages and Journalism double-major Zoe Naylor, who graduated in 2024, was named assistant city editor at the Columbia Missourian. She was a writer for MTSU’s Sidelines and is now pursuing her master’s in journalism at the University of Missouri.
Buchanan Fellow Katie Nicholson, a 2018 graduate with a degree in Music, was named band director at Siegel High School, where she attended high school.
Kera Reynolds, a 2024 English graduate and Buchanan Transfer Fellow, received an internship through the Association of College and University Housing Officers as a summer assistant coordinator with Indiana University’s Residence Life for 2025. She is working toward a Master of Education at MTSU.
Zachary Thomas, a Buchanan Fellow and an Audio Production graduate in May, received MTSU’s Robert C. LaLance Jr. Achievement Award. He is now pursuing his master’s degree in Recording Arts and Technologies at the University.
A 2011 Honors alumna and History major, Sara Beth Urban was named president and CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association. In this role, she is the powerhouse behind the state's lodging, dining, and tourism interests.
