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Friday, May 3, 2024
Commencement Ceremonies
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the Southern Virginia University Class of 2024! Congratulations graduates and Go Knights!
Commencement Livestream
- Open dropdown
Order of Exercises
Processional
Administration and Official Guests
Faculty
Class of 2024
Welcome
James Lambert, Provost
Hymn
“How Firm a Foundation”
Text Attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787; Music attr. to J. Ellis, ca. 1889
Invocation
Delcia Coolbear, Class of 2024
Opening Remarks and Introduction of Speakers
James Lambert, Provost
Valedictorian Address
Joanna Porter, Class of 2024
Address
Elder Vaiangina Sikahema, General Authority Seventy
Conferral of Degrees
Bonnie H. Cordon, President
James Lambert, Provost
Hugh Redd, Chair, Board of Trustees
Glade Knight, Emeritus Board of Trustees
Deidra Dryden, VP of Advancement & Development
Samuel Hirt, Associate Provost
Closing Remarks
Bonnie H. Cordon, President
Music
“Shenandoah”
American Folk Song, 19th century
Benediction
Samuel Petty, Class of 2024
Music
“Pomp and Circumstance”
Composed by Edward Elgar, 1857–1934
“How Firm a Foundation”
Text Attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787; Music attr. to J. Ellis, ca. 1889
How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
“Shenandoah”
American Folk Song, 19th century
Conductors
Kyle Nielsen, Director of Choral Studies
Julia Evans, Class of 2024
String Quartet
Katelyn Leinbach, violin
Thomasin Schkrohowsky, violin
Felicity Clayton, viola
Annalisha Staples, cello
Vocalists
Abbegail Pennington, Class of 2024 - Open dropdown
Graduates
McKenna Albert
N. James Allen
Ryan Armstrong
Jaydon Arnold
Lauren Athay
Joshua Babb
Nykiah Baisden
Abigail Baker
Nicholas Baker
Brynne Baldwin
Brogan Bennett
Sarina Betts
Nathan Blackwell
Anna Bonney
Miriam Bonney
Addison Bray
Michael Brown
Corinne Brubaker
Baylee Bruce
Parker Buhler
Stuart Burbidge
Ethan Campbell
Nicolas Cantos
Morgan Carter
Kamree Castle
Savanna Chapin
Christian Clement
Delcia Coolbear
Julianne Cordova
Alex Cox
Jon Creasy
Nicholas Daynes
Sam De Melo
Emma Knight Denney
Riley Dickerman
Ricardo Diego
Emily Donbrosky
Scott Dransfield Jr.
Elizabeth Edler
Misa Eller
Addison England
Shaianne Erickson
Julia Evans
Emma Ferguson
Stockton Ferguson
Madeline Fisher
Benjamin Fly
Ella Foutz
Michael Golden Jr.
Tanner Gonder
Gabriel Gorham
Ally Haney
Erick Helzer
Tyler Hermansen
Riley Jo Heward
Alexis Higgins
Haislee Hill
Weston Hirschi
Sophia Hirst
Annalise Huber
Sarah Hughes
William Hughes
Hadley Jacob
Matthew Johansson
Grant Johnson
Richard Johnson II
Sinjun Johnson
Tayma Johnson
Porter Jones
Samuel Justice
Parker Kam
Reilly Karchner
Alex Lanktree
Samuel Larson
Michaela LaSauceDaniel Lawhorne
Johanna LeBaron
Annalyce Leuck
Ammon Lewis
Madison Bogh Lloyd
Nathan Losee
Sabra Larson Lott
Kobe Lowery
Dara Lusk
Johnston Mackie
Gabriel Martinez
Devon Mason
Michael McCaffrey
Matthew McCubbins
Thomas McPoyle
Jex Mecham
Emmaline Merrill
Quinton Meyer
Natalya Millet
Madison Miner
Kaitlyn Morris
Ethan Moua
Michael Nash
Skyler Nelson
Denver Norcross
Eric Noor
Olivia Norton
Elvis Nwaneri
Sierra Weeks Nye
Nicholas O’Conner
Malakai Olson
Sally Osterman
Elisabeth Pack
Adalynn Parker
Jilane Pedersen
Abbegail Pennington
Samuel Petty
Terell Phillips II
Sydney Pope
Joanna Porter
Rebecca Porter
Andjela Rich
Emily Roth
Jake Schenk
Piper Searle
Dillon Seawright
Clark Sheaffer
Payson Simmons
David Smith
Jared Smith
Nathalie Smith
Madison Sollis
Braden Spurlock
Colton Stanley
Ashlyn Stone-Awong
Triniti Stores
Sarah Stradling
Zachary Sullivan
Ellie Tomlinson
Ashley Torbenson
Ammon Uasilaa
Tristen VanBrocklin
Donna Marie Walker
Kayley Wardle
Gideon Wassum
Jessica Webb
Angela Wenk
Kennedy White
Joseph Whitmore
Robin Williams
Alea Willis
Jake Wilson
Luke Wilson
Makinna Winterton - Open dropdown
Awards & Recognitions
Academic Honors
Latin Honors
Latin honors are noted on the transcripts of students who have completed all requirements for graduation, earned at least sixty credit hours at Southern Virginia, and achieved the following cumulative grade-point averages:
3.95–4.00, summa cum laude (“with highest praise”)
3.85–3.949, magna cum laude (“with great praise”)
3.70–3.849, cum laude (“with praise”)
Valedictorian (gold cord)
Cumulative grade-point average 4.0
Joanna Porter
Salutatorian (gold cord)
Cumulative grade-point average 4.0
Ryan Armstrong
Cumulative Grade-point Average 4.0 (gold cord)
Ryan Armstrong
Nykiah Baisden
Miriam Bonney
Nicholas Daynes
William Hughes
Sabra Larson Lott
Emmaline Merrill
Natalya Millet
Skyler Nelson
Joanna Porter
Clark Sheaffer
Jared Smith
Robin Williams
University Honors (antique gold cord)
Completion of the Honors Program and Honors Thesis
Ryan Armstrong
Nathan Blackwell
Gabriel Gorham
Skyler Nelson
Emmaline Merrill
Emily Roth
Jared Smith
President’s List for Two or More Semesters
Semester grade-point average in the top ten percent of current students
Ryan Armstrong
Nykiah Baisden
Sarina Betts
Anna Bonney
Miriam Bonney
Corinne Brubaker
Baylee Bruce
Sarah Bunker
Ethan Campbell
Ashley Cannon
Nicholas Daynes
Julia Evans
Gabriel Gorham
Riley Jo Heward
Haislee Hill
Madison Hollenbeck
William Hughes
Tayma Johnson
Porter Jones
Samuel Justice
Reilly Kartchner
Emma Knight
Ammon Lewis
Annalyce Leuck
Samuel Larson Lott
Madison Bogh Lloyd
Kobe Lowery
Devon Mason
Jex Mecham
Emmaline Merrill
Quinton Meyer
Natalya Millet
Skyler Nelson
Olivia Norton
Sally Osterman
Joanna Porter
Piper Searle
Clark Sheaffer
Jared Smith
Nathalie Smith
Kayley Wardle
Kennedy White
Alea Willis
Jake Wilson
Provost’s List for Four or More Semesters
Semester grade-point average at or above 3.5
Ryan Armstrong
Brynne Baldwin
Anna Bonney
Miriam Bonney
Corinne Brubaker
Bayley Bruce
Ethan Campbell
Morgan Carter
Delcia Coolbear
Nicholas Daynes
Emma Knight Denney
Emily Donbrosky
Addison England
Julia Evans
Gabriel Gorham
Ally Haney
Eric Helzer
Tyler Hermansen
Riley Jo Heward
Haislee Hill
Sophia Hirst
Sarah Bunker Hughes
William Hughes
Tayma Johnson
Porter Jones
Samuel Justice
Reilly Kartchner
Alex Lanktree
Samuel Larson
Michaela LaSauce
Ammon Lewis
Sabra Larson Lott
Annalyce Leuck
Devon Mason
Jex Mecham
Quinton Meyer
Skyler Nelson
Sally Osterman
Elisabeth Pack
Samuel Petty
Joanna Porter
Emily Roth
Clark Sheaffer
Jared Smith
Nathalie Smith
Braden Spurlock
Kayley Wardle
Angela Wenk
Kennedy White
Alea Willis
Jake Wilson
Barrus Scholars (green chord)
Excellence in the Liberal Arts
Ryan Armstrong
Emmaline Merrill
Chi Epsilon Omega (purple & gold cord)
Business Honor Society
Miriam Bonney
Michael Brown
MacGregor Henrichsen
Nathan Losee
Jex Mecham
Quinton Meyer
Samuel Petty
Joanna Porter
Rebecca Porter
Jacob Seawright
Jared Smith
Kennedy White
Luke Wilson
Omicron Delta Kappa (white, black & light blue cord)
National Leadership Honor Society
Ethan Campbell
Nicholas Daynes
Ricardo Diego
Addison England
Sophia Hirst
Hadley Jacob
Emma Knight
Kobe Lowery
Nathan Losee
Devon Mason
Matthew McCubbins
Emmaline Merrill
Sally Osterman
Sydney Pope
Joanna Porter
Piper Searle
Jared Smith
Braden Spurlock
Alea Willis
Phi Alpha Theta (red & light blue cord)
History Honor Society
Emily Donbrosky
Braden Spurlock
Eric Helzer
Michaela LaSauce
Johnston Mackie
Jex Mecham
Phi Kappa Phi (blue & gold medallion)
All-Discipline Honor Society
Ryan Armstrong
Anna Bonney
Miriam Bonney
William Hughes
Sabra Larson Lott
Tayma Johnson
Emmaline Merrill
Skyler Nelson
Joanna Porter
Clark Sheaffer
Jared Smith
Phi Sigma Tau (white & purple cords)
Philosophy Honor Society
Alex Cox
Sabra Larson Lott
Psi Chi (navy & silver cord)
International Honor Society
Baylee Bruce
Nicholas Daynes
Emma Knight Denney
Addison England
Grant Johnson
Tayma Johnson
Alex Lanktree
Joanna LeBaron
Devon Mason
Sigma Delta Pi (red & gold cord)
Spanish Honor Society
Alex Cox
Johnston Mackie
Joanna Porter
Graduation Distinctions
Leader-Servant Graduation Distinction (crimson & gold medallion)
Completed 100 hours of community service, including a capstone project
Nicholas Baker
Miriam Bonney
Ricardo Diego
Piper Searle
Institute Graduates (white cord)
Church Educational System
Ryan Armstrong
Miriam Bonney
Addison Bray
Christian Clement
Delcia Coolbear
Alex Cox
Misa Eller
Madeline Fisher
Sophia Hirst
Grant Johnson
Tayma Johnson
Porter Jones
Reilly Karchner
Emma Knight
Daniel Lawhorne
Annalyce Leuck
Nathan Losee
Gabriel Martinez
Abbegail Pennington
Terell Phillips, II
Joanna Porter
Rebecca Porter
Sheridan Schoen
David Smith
Braden Spurlock
Ammon Uasilaa
Donna Marie Walker
Jake Wilson - Open dropdown
Campus Map
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Lodging, Dining & Activities
As one of the most beautiful times to visit the Shenandoah Valley, we recommend all visitors review the below recommendations for lodging, dining, and activities.
Local Businesses & Deals
Flowers & Things at Sycamore Lane
2265 Beech Ave., Buena Vista, VA
Full service flower and gift shop.
The BeeVe: Sweet Souvenirs
2175 Magnolia Ave., Buena Vista, VA
Ice cream, soda, and souvenir shop. New merchandise designs, ice cream flavors, and sales will be available during graduation week.
Katana: Sushi and Hibachi Express
1913 Magnolia Ave., Buena Vista, VA
Authentic Japanese sushi and hibachi restaurant with dine-in and takeout options.
Vinyl Cuts
2159 Magnolia Ave., Buena Vista, VA
Gift shop specializing in custom cut shirts, banners, and signs.
![Elder Vaiangina Sikahema](https://svu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Vai-Sikahema_1.jpg)
Elder Vai Sikahema to Speak at Commencement
Elder Vaiangina Sikahema, a member of the General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and former professional football player and sports broadcaster, will address graduates at the 2024 Commencement Ceremonies.
Link to news article.Read More