By Kelly Stenka
Over 150 students crossed the stage at Doane University’s winter commencement ceremony on Friday, December 12. The ceremony began at 2 p.m. for students receiving undergraduate degrees from the university’s Crete campus and graduate degrees who attended the Lincoln campus. The ceremony was held inside Doane’s Haddix Gymnasium on the Crete campus.
Doane President Roger Hughes, Ph.D., a 1982 graduate of the university, handed degrees to students who walked in the ceremonies to the cheers and celebration of their family and peers.
The commencement address was delivered by Douglas D. Christensen, Ph.D., retired director of Doane University’s education specialist program. Christensen served the university for 13 years as a professor of practice in educational leadership before retiring in 2022. He developed a leadership preparation and certification program for district-level school leaders and previously spent 14 years as Nebraska’s commissioner of education, after earlier service as a superintendent, principal, teacher and coach. A nationally recognized education leader, Christensen has received numerous state and national honors and continues to serve on the boards of Phi Delta Kappa and the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. His career in education spans 57 years across seven decades.
During Christensen’s speech, “In the Next Five Years,” he encouraged students to focus on the decisions they make today to prepare and invest in their future.
The ceremony is available to view on Doane’s YouTube channel.
A full list of graduates are available to view HERE.
Doctorate of Education
| Name | Degree | City | State | Dissertation Title |
| Catherine Marie Archie | Doctorate of Education | Omaha | NE | When the Odds Have Been Defeated: Examining Influential Experiences of Unhoused Youth in Alternative Education Programs |
| Sarah Knuth Baker | Doctorate of Education | Lincoln | NE | Exploring Music Educator Perceptions of Cycles of Enactment Centered on Core Teaching Practices: A Case Study of an Induction Program |
| Carol Ann Flora | Doctorate of Education | Lincoln | NE | A Case Study of One Midwestern School District’s Interlocal Cooperative Agreement and Impacts on AfterSchool Programming within a High School Setting |
| Jason Todd Harris | Doctorate of Education | Omaha | NE | Young Adults with Disabilities and Preparation for Post-Graduation Success: A Qualitative Case Study |
| Kiley M. Luchsinger | Doctorate of Education | Gretna | NE | Acting through Conflict: Exploring the Role of Forum Theatre in New Teachers’ Identity Formation in a Suburban Nebraska School District |
| Jason Lee Mundorf | Doctorate of Education | Kearney | NE | Battles in the Board Room: A Qualitative Study on the Perceived Impact of Politics for a Midwestern State’s School Board Members |
| James Thomas Widdifield | Doctorate of Education | Minden | NE | Legislating Education: Understand How Nebraska Superintendents Perceive the Effect of New StateLegislated Requirements on School Districts |
Education Specialist
| Name | Degree | City | State |
| Andrew Tyler Adams | Education Specialist | Hastings | NE |
| Ryan John Broshar | Education Specialist | Omaha | NE |
| Teresa Lynn Casart | Education Specialist | Louisville | NE |
| Anthony William Clark-Kaczmarek | Education Specialist | Omaha | NE |
| Zachery James Deleski-Taylor | Education Specialist | Omaha | NE |
| Lyndsey J. Douglas | Education Specialist | North Platte | NE |
| Scott Michael Hilger | Education Specialist | Omaha | NE |
| Caitlin Fae Jensen | Education Specialist | Grand Island | NE |
| Dylan Kolter Kendall | Education Specialist | Beatrice | NE |
| Michael R. Sortino | Education Specialist | Bennington | NE |
| Joseph Tierney Wanning | Education Specialist | South Sioux City | NE |
Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
| Name | Degree | City | State |
| Erica Marie Acamo | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Papillion | NE |
| Joseph Michael Ambs | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Westminster | MD |
| Sarah Arehart | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Hastings | NE |
| Abigail Beach | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Gretna | NE |
| Grace Blum | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Bennington | NE |
| Angela Marie Bousquet | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Papillion | NE |
| Julie Brandt | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Bellevue | NE |
| Brian R. Briggs | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Omaha | NE |
| Joslyn Rae Brosius | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Hershey | NE |
| Kathryn Brunke | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| MaShayla Emily Burnett | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Oconto | NE |
| Allysa Mae Catt | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Panama | NE |
| Raymond Jay Cronk III | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Thedford | NE |
| Cathleen Louise Danner | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Thomas Henry Dux | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Fairbury | NE |
| Carson Rae Ebeling | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Diller | NE |
| Alyssa Emery | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Brian M. Evans | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Stromsburg | NE |
| Meghan Fisher | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Pleasanton | NE |
| Sarah Marie Granger | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Juniata | NE |
| Scott Hakel | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Ryan Michael Jansen | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Omaha | NE |
| Noelle Elizabeth Kleint | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Elkhorn | NE |
| Jennifer Knudsen | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Omaha | NE |
| Brittany Nicole Kraft | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Council Bluffs | NE |
| Adam Kranz | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Beatrice | NE |
| Britnee Lynae Miller | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Olathe | KS |
| Chantelle Lynn Milleson | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Dunning | NE |
| Karlie Rae Muff | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Jacqueline Ortega Garcia | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Grand Island | NE |
| Purity Anyango Ortiz | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Matthew Thomas Palu | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Jessica L. Parde | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Crete | NE |
| Creighton William Pearse | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Kearney | NE |
| Henry Penner | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Charles Wesley Pratt | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Chloe E. Reinwald | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Kirstine Rios | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Beatrice | NE |
| Beatriz Cruz Rivas | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Duarte | CA |
| Breanna Zae Rose | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Gibbon | NE |
| Kennedy Simpson | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Lincoln | NE |
| Paris TeBrink | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Denton | NE |
| Elizabeth Thiele | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Omaha | NE |
| Alyssa Tonniges | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Omaha | NE |
| Megan E. Valgora | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Kearney | NE |
| Amanda Weihl | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Omaha | NE |
Master of Education in School Counseling
| Name | Degree | City | State |
| Dawn Michelle Bodyfield | Master of Education in School Counseling | Elkhorn | NE |
| Emily Christine Bortol | Master of Education in School Counseling | Omaha | NE |
| Jens Nelson Lehman | Master of Education in School Counseling | Lincoln | NE |
| Grace Adair Rath | Master of Education in School Counseling | Omaha | IA |
Master of Arts in Counseling
| Name | Degree | City | State |
| Patrick Maurice Grayson | Master of Arts in Counseling | Stafford | VA |
| Madison Hostetler | Master of Arts in Counseling | Lincoln | NE |
| Chelsea Brooke Koehn | Master of Arts in Counseling | Lincoln | NE |
| Rachael Marilyn Kohrell | Master of Arts in Counseling | Lincoln | NE |
| Gwendolyn Lopez | Master of Arts in Counseling | Lincoln | NE |
| Heather L. McNally | Master of Arts in Counseling | Crete | NE |
| Brandon C. McWilliams | Master of Arts in Counseling | Lincoln | NE |
| Laura Jeanine Moravec | Master of Arts in Counseling | David City | NE |
| Ryan Thomas Rabstejnek | Master of Arts in Counseling | Beatrice | NE |
| Elianet Tamayo Pioto | Master of Arts in Counseling | Lincoln | NE |
Master of Arts in Leadership
| Name | Degree | City | State |
| Lameakia Michelle Collier | Master of Arts in Leadership | Lincoln | NE |
| Thais Cristina Gimenez Vieira | Master of Arts in Leadership | Lincoln | NE |
| Melissa Kay Gross | Master of Arts in Leadership | Papillion | NE |
| James Knyawhtoo | Master of Arts in Leadership | Lincoln | NE |
| Sharla Dirkedil Mad | Master of Arts in Leadership | Lincoln | NE |
| Kamil Hamzah Rasool | Master of Arts in Leadership | Lincoln | NE |
| Hiba Shaheen | Master of Arts in Leadership | Lincoln | NE |
| Bo Vanis | Master of Arts in Leadership | La Vista | NE |
| Melissa Ann Wortmann | Master of Arts in Leadership | Columbus | NE |
Master of Business Administration
| Name | Degree | City | State |
| Hiam Al Naqqash | Master of Business Administration | Lincoln | NE |
| Kimberly Sue Barrett | Master of Business Administration | Lincoln | NE |
| Aleena Sibte Burney | Master of Business Administration | Leesburg | VA |
| Brandon Gross | Master of Business Administration | Andersonville | GA |
| Jaden Marie Hilkemann | Master of Business Administration | Lincoln | NE |
| Luke Douglas LaChance | Master of Business Administration | Littleton | CO |
| Jared Alexander Smith | Master of Business Administration | San Antonio | TX |
| Tyrina Sheree Webster | Master of Business Administration | Lincoln | NE |
| Tristan Anthony Zamilpa | Master of Business Administration | Madera | CA |
Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology
| Name | Degree | City | State |
| Kristina Rivera | Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology | Omaha | NE |
| KayLee D. Schwarz | Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology | Cozad | NE |
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
| Name | Degree | Major | City | State |
| Jeremiah Johnson Arndt | Bachelor of Arts | Accounting | Dannebrog | NE |
| Sebastian Bejarano Bensur | Bachelor of Science | Engineering | Cali | Colombia |
| Luke Alan Bonifas | Bachelor of Arts | Economics | Hastings | NE |
| Elijah A. Calloway | Bachelor of Science | Exercise Science | San Antonio | TX |
| Kelsey Marie Dramse | Bachelor of Arts | Human Relations | Grand Island | NE |
| Vincent Eurek | Bachelor of Arts | Agribusiness | Loup City | NE |
| Nicole M. Goddard | Bachelor of Arts | Professional Studies in Business Administration | Lincoln | NE |
| Zinedine Guecioueur | Bachelor of Arts | Business Administration | Thionville | France |
| Philip Paul Guthrie | Bachelor of Science | Natural Resources and Environmental Science | Tuscaloosa | AL |
| Ashton Paul Jochum | Bachelor of Science | Engineering | Sutherland | NE |
| Rowan Joy Jolkowski | Bachelor of Arts | Psychology | Omaha | NE |
| Devin Klein | Bachelor of Arts | Liberal Arts Studies | Roca | NE |
| Marisa Yvette Marquez | Bachelor of Science | Liberal Arts Studies | Upland | CA |
| Carlos C. Napoles | Bachelor of Science | Computing | Lincoln | NE |
| Gerald Brandon Nix | Bachelor of Science | Exercise Science | Ripon | CA |
| Aaron Mathew Reyes | Bachelor of Arts | Liberal Arts Studies | San Benito | TX |
| Abigail Anne Rickert | Bachelor of Arts | Liberal Arts Studies | Lincoln | NE |
| Nelson Cheruiyot Ruto | Bachelor of Science | Health Sciences | Eldoret | Kenya |
| Agdaly Guadalupe Sanchez Castro | Bachelor of Arts | Sociology | Norfolk | NE |
| Riley Brianne Schmidt | Bachelor of Science | Biology | Crete | NE |
| Grayce Sheridan Southern | Bachelor of Science | Health Sciences | Tulsa | OK |
| Tyler Stevens | Bachelor of Science | Engineering | Northglenn | CO |
| Ryan Richard Stratman | Bachelor of Arts | History | Lawton | IA |
| Kidyn Milton Timms | Bachelor of Arts | History | Colorado Springs | CO |
| Brianna Jo Vesely | Bachelor of Science | Health Sciences | Wilber | NE |
| Devin Eric Wanamaker | Bachelor of Science | Engineering | Fairbury | NE |
| Waite Adam Wilmore | Bachelor of Science | Exercise Science | Centennial | CO |
| Jason Wilson | Bachelor of Science | Exercise Science | Victor | ID |
| Reece Mathew Zutavern | Bachelor of Arts | Agribusiness | Dunning | NE |
