More than 4,700 Texas Tech undergraduate and graduate students from every college in the university walked the stage in front of family and friends during commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday in the United Supermarkets Arena.
After years of study, students were awarded their diplomas and heard messages congratulating them for their hard work and encouraging them for a life ahead.
Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said this semester's graduates carry the distinction of being the last graduating class from the first century of Texas Tech’s history - with the university celebrating its centennial in the coming year - as well as being a class that persevered through a pandemic.
Texas Tech commencement continues Saturday
“You displayed an exceptional level of perseverance and grit,” Schovanec said. “You learned to be more resourceful and adaptable. These are traits that will serve you well for the rest of your life. I am assured that you are prepared and ready to embrace the opportunities and to overcome the challenges that life will inevitably present.”
He also passed along his gratitude to the graduating class for choosing Texas Tech and for leaving their mark on the university.
Texas Tech System Board of Regents Vice Chairman Mark Griffin reminded the graduates that this moment was not just a time to celebrate the graduates’ academic accomplishments, but also a moment to celebrate everyone who helped them along the way to earning a college education.
He said being a Texas Tech graduate means they are a part of a family, and part of a proud legacy of Red Raiders.
“You'll become part of a special tradition ... you will become leaders in your families and in your communities," Griffin said.
This year, the commencement speakers were students from each graduation ceremony, reflecting on their times at Tech and lessons they've learned along the way.
After the provost conferred the degrees to the students, the students sang the Matador Song for the first time as graduates of Texas Tech University. In total, nearly 5,000 students graduated from Texas Tech, the Texas Tech School of Law and the university's other entities this semester.
Banner Bearers
Outstanding students, chosen based on their all-around achievement, will carry banners representing their colleges. The banner bearers are:
Davis College: Isabella A. Schoenherr, natural resources management
College of Architecture: Jacqueline Reyes, architecture
College of Arts & Sciences: Dyllin Jett Gallegos, cell and molecular biology
College of Education: Melanie Nicole Scott, education
College of Human Sciences: Julia Brown, counseling and addiction recovery sciences
College of Media & Communication: Isaac Ryan Ortega, public relations & strategic communication management and communication studies
College of Engineering: Emma Grace Mishler, mechanical engineering
Graduate School: Tamara Knight, educational leadership
Honors College: John Poquiz, microbiology; Celine Cuellar, environmental engineering; Grace White, advertising; Madison LaFont, education; McKaylyn Haynes, honors sciences and humanities
Rawls College of Business: Claire Nicole Bingamon, management
TCVPA: Gabriela Guadalupe Garcia, dance
University Programs: Samantha Pilch, university studies
Honor Students
The highest-ranking spring graduates for each college/program are:
Davis College: David W. Hemphill, agricultural and applied economics; Caleb L. Kunde, animal science; Ashley E. Peterson, animal science; Isabella A. Schoenherr, natural resources management; Shae Lynn Suttle, animal science
College of Architecture: Jacqueline Reyes, architecture; Timothy Dakota Tipparach, architecture; Collin Wesley Whitener, architecture
College of Arts & Sciences: Ali Aftabi, biology; Catherine Darlene Agarwal, chemistry; Mohamad Altabaa, microbiology; Matthew Reuben Amunrud, history; Ashley Elizabeth Boyce, psychology; Valerie Ann Carpenter, Spanish and personal financial planning (College of Human Sciences); Joshua Avery Cauto, political science; Payton Elizabeth Conlin, English; Kelsey Hunter Cornish, psychology; Mikaela Nicole Daum, microbiology; Jordan Christopher Despain, economics; Garren Joshua Ferreira, microbiology; Megan Ruth Fleenor, English; Samuel Leonard Flesner, biology; Megan Lee Fortner, psychology; Dyllin Jett Gallegos, cell and molecular biology; Grace Katherine Gandy, English; Joselin Garcia, psychology; Mya Joyce Garcia, psychology; Evelina Mirasol Garza, general studies; Juan Estevan Gonzales, social work; Elizabeth Mallory Gunder, psychology; Saphiro Astrid Guzman, political science; Lauren Cole Hamic, history and political science; Morgan Elizabeth Hannon, psychology; Grace Anne Harrison, geography; Robin Heinz, psychology; Tristan Terence Herring, psychology; Quynh Nhu Ho, microbiology; Katherine Mercedes Jost, psychology; Nathaniel Kimball, microbiology; Robert Madden Jr., microbiology; Jordan Allen Marcum, history and political science; Joshua Frank Martinez, political science; Conner Smith Massenburg, biochemistry; Brittney Danielle McEwan, biology; Ben Jawn Feola Mitchell, political science and general studies; Namratha Mohan, psychology and general studies; Brylee Nicole Montes, kinesiology; Jetonne Elva Mumma, psychology; Arya Alexander Nekovei, microbiology; Linh Do-Thuy Nguyen, economics; Thomas Ryan Nolan, microbiology; Clayton Carter Paget, mathematics; Phuong Audrey Diem Pham, biochemistry; Zachary David Reber, biology; Brandon Connor Richardson, biochemistry; William N. Riley, kinesiology; Marley Elizabeth Roser, history; Theodore Singh Sandhu, microbiology; Jesus Silva Mendez, cell and molecular biology; Emilie Barbara Sklarenko, wind energy; Lauren Marie SoRelle, philosophy and honors sciences & humanities (Honors College); Hailee R Stacy, kinesiology; Marlee Ann Street, psychology and human development & family sciences (College of Human Sciences); Neeti Swami, biochemistry; Aaron Christopher Szczesny, economics; Caitlin Lauren Tayag, cell and molecular biology; Alessandra Velasquez, psychology and kinesiology; Sabrina Renee Wilson, microbiology; Daniel Haworth Xue, general studies; Britney Nchongwa Yakum, biochemistry
Honors College: Lauren Marie SoRelle, philosophy (College of Arts & Sciences) and honors sciences & humanities
Rawls College of Business: Annika K. Aasbo, management; Emily Y. Ayoubi, finance; Milleniah Lynne Bailey, management; Joseph Timothy Barrowman, supply chain management; Claire Nicole Bingamon, management; Khalil Abraham Boroski, accounting MSA; Garrett Austin Douglas, supply chain management; Kirsten Elise Evans, finance and management; Haley Sara Falick, information technology; Genesis Natali Flores, accounting MSA; Cristian Javier Hernandez, management; Naomi Esosa Izedonmwen, information technology and marketing; Brandon Thomas Kasper, accounting; Brendon Patrick King, accounting MSA; Ethan Paul Kiper, supply chain management; Maximo Martinez, accounting; Riley Marie Moore, marketing; Carter Bryce Mulkey, information technology; Lanie Ngo, accounting MSA; Collin Zane Redwine, accounting; Madison Jane Richards, accounting; Lauren Margaret Somerlot, management; Kelsey Brianne Thomas, marketing; Keigan Bryce Traylor, information technology; Audrey Jean Tuttle, marketing; Gabriel Jesus Vargas, supply chain management
TCVPA: Jennifer Nicole Bowler, art; Gabriela Guadalupe Garcia, dance; Alyssa Layne Gregory, music; Hannah Charlotte Martin, music; Emily Maria Martinez, art; Emma Grace Vieira, music; Chloe Elizabeth Walser, art; Madden Aliene Wilson, art
University Programs: Nicholas Stewart, university studies; Samantha Pilch; university studies
