Ohio University Southern celebrates Class of 2026 at Graduation Recognition Ceremony

Ohio University Southern celebrated its newest graduates at the annual Graduation Recognition Ceremony on the evening of Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Graduates filled the front rows of the auditorium, with their friends, families, faculty and administrators seated behind them. Decorated caps filled the rows. Some honored family members who couldn’t be there to see this moment, others sparkled with bedazzled stethoscopes, and a few graduates wore stoles covered in handprints from the young students they teach.

The ceremony fell within OHIO Southern’s 70th anniversary year. The class of 92 students earned 41 associate degrees, 50 bachelor’s degrees, and one master’s degree.

Marty Conley, chair of the Ohio University Southern Coordinating Council and a 2019 graduate of the campus, convened the ceremony. Natalie Wilds, the 2026 Spirit of Southern Award recipient, led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the National Anthem.

Dean Deborah Marinski welcomed graduates and their families and tied the ceremony to OHIO Southern’s anniversary year.

“Tonight’s celebration carries an extra layer of significance as we are also proud to commemorate a remarkable milestone, the 70th anniversary of Ohio University Southern,” Marinski said. “For seven decades, we have opened our doors to students from across the region, changed lives, strengthened our community, and built a legacy we can all be proud of.”

Dr. Glenn Abraham, associate professor of social work, offered greetings from the faculty. He spoke about the privilege of watching students progress through their programs and noted that some of the graduates in front of him were students he had first met as high schoolers visiting campus to consider college.

“It has been particularly gratifying to watch those students as they progressed through the required curriculum of their major, gained knowledge, and learned new skills,” Abraham said.

Awards for students, faculty, staff, alumni

The 2026 Spirit of Southern Award was given to Natalie Wilds, recognizing her academic achievement, her work as a student employee and her contributions to campus programs, including Bobcat Academy. Wilds graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.

The Outstanding Faculty Award was presented to Kathy Kwiatkowski, assistant professor of instruction in biology. Marinski recognized Kwiatkowski for her work delivering biology instruction across multiple regional campuses, including a summer commute to the Chillicothe campus to lead essential labs, and for her work with the Wayne National Forest summer program.

The Outstanding Staff Award was presented posthumously to Lisa Cantrell, an OHIO Southern alumna and Student Success Advisor who served the campus for nearly three decades before her passing in March. Marinski paused to compose herself as she described Cantrell as a Bobcat through and through.

“It wasn’t uncommon to walk into Lisa’s office and find her sitting with a student, sometimes even in tears, alongside them, fully present in their moment,” Marinski said. “That was who she was.”

Cantrell’s family accepted the award on her behalf, and the audience rose in a standing ovation.

The Dr. Dan Evans Alumni Leadership Award was given to Nikki Thomas, a 1994 graduate of Ohio University Southern. Thomas led the $50.8 million renovation of the historic Prichard Building in Huntington, West Virginia, converting the landmark into 108 apartments for senior citizens through partnerships with more than 20 community organizations. As director of development for Golden Girl Group Home, Thomas has secured funding for residential homes, transitional housing and a recreation center serving vulnerable girls and young women across the tri-state region.

The importance of purpose, grit and gratitude

Dr. Kim Keffer, retired professor of instruction, delivered the charge to graduates. Keffer started her own academic journey at OHIO Southern as a nontraditional student before earning a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Ohio University and returning to the campus as a faculty member for more than 30 years.

She told graduates that three qualities can transform a life: purpose, grit and gratitude.

“Purpose is a combination of a goal and a determination to achieve that goal,” Keffer said. She shared how her own plan to teach elementary school shifted into a career in higher education that lasted more than three decades, and encouraged graduates to remain open as their own purpose evolves.

On grit, Keffer drew on lessons from her parents. Her mother taught her that anything worth doing was worth doing to the best of her ability. Her father, who finished eighth grade, made a weekly trip into town every summer so his daughters would have books to read.

For gratitude, Keffer spoke of walking the Legacy Walkway in Shafer Courtyard and reading the names engraved on the bricks. Among them was Lisa Cantrell.

“Each of those individuals had an influence in the lives of the faculty, staff and students at Ohio University,” Keffer said. “We cannot always repay those who have helped us along our journey. What we can do, though, is to pay it forward.”

She closed with a phrase that drew warm applause from the room: “Once a bobcat, always a bobcat.”

Tim Mollett, professor of instruction in Spanish, conducted the degree recognition. Each graduate’s name was called, and each crossed the stage to a handshake from the dean and applause, cheers and whistles from the audience. Latin honors were marked by braided cords: gold for summa cum laude, silver for magna cum laude and bronze for cum laude.

After the recessional, families spilled into the hallways and across campus to celebrate, with graduates posing for photos with friends and family.

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The 2026 graduates of Ohio University Southern

Kentucky Graduates

ASHLAND: Chevelle Abner, Evan Dickison, Thomas Keating, James Muzic, Laney Orndorff, Joanne Rice, Shaleigh Virgin 
FLATWOODS: Kailyn Barada, Zeke Cordle, Jackson Hammond 
GRAYSON: Sydney Markel 
GREENUP: Logan Boyles, Jason Snavely 
LOUISA: Natalie Hill, Rikki Staniford 
RUSSELL: Meredith Bartram 
WURTLAND: Dylan Tucker

Ohio Graduates

BLUE CREEK: Ashton Klaiber 
CHESAPEAKE: Brody Blackwell, Aubree Callicoat, Amanda French, Courtney Hart, Christopher Stanley, Lauren Webber 
COAL GROVE: Mackenzie Baldridge, Laiken Hobbs, Chassidy Presas, Christian Webb, Skylar Wolford 
CROWN CITY: Samantha Morrison 
FRANKLIN FURNACE: Marissa Boza, Emily Brammer, Caitlyn Hurt, Lane Hutchinson, Tabbi Miller, Kailyn Neal 
GALLIPOLIS: Lindsay Stapleton 
IRONTON: Terryann Blizzard, Aidan Brown, Dru Canter, Malachi Clifton, Kayleigh Collins, Haley Fetty, Kourtney Fox, Courtney Gallion, Cayden Gobel, Sydney Hairston, Whitney Howard, Megan Long, Brock Midkiff, Wesley Monroe, Isabel Morgan, Melanie Mullins, Brandon Peters, Sophia Rhoades, Harley Roberts, Hannah Sansom, Lydia Sheridan, Kennedie Smith, Bishop Strait, Bella Whaley, Natalie Wilds, Dawn Williford 
KITTS HILL: Christopher Crabtree, Brandi Johnson 
LUCASVILLE: Staci Riehl 
PEDRO: Nick Blankenship, Caden Brammer, Brooklynn Bryant 
PORTSMOUTH: Ethan Ellinger, Bailey Howard, Andrew Wright 
PROCTORVILLE: Desirae Davis, Gary-Allen Huff, Zachary Tooley 
SOUTH POINT: Abby Blankenship, Sarah Craft, Chase Lynd, Alexa Sites 
SOUTH WEBSTER: Hannah Farrell 
WHEELERSBURG: Tiffany Gaiter, Hannah McCormick 
WILLOW WOOD: Lena Adkins

West Virginia Graduates

FORT GAY: Leiah Napier, Sara Stiltner 
HUNTINGTON: Lexus Berry, Alisa Pinson