Lamar State College Orange Holds Spring 2016 Commencement

May 18, 2016


Spring 2016 Graduates

Dr. J. Michael Shahan, president of Lamar State College-Orange, delivered the commencement address at the Spring 2016 graduation ceremony of LSC-O on May 13 at the Luther Theater.

Lamar State College-Orange president for more than 21 years, Shahan has presided over a period of significant campus growth. The student body has increased by 50 percent and the downtown campus has developed into an attractive community asset. During his tenure, Shahan helped obtain funding that led to the construction of the Ron Lewis Library building and the Nursing/Classroom Building. Construction of a new multipurpose building will begin later this summer.

A graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in History, Shahan pursued graduate study at Vanderbilt University, earning a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in American History. He began his teaching career in 1977 at Lamar University-Port Arthur where he earned the rank of associate professor and rose to the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs. In 1994, the Lamar University System Board of Regents selected him to serve as Interim President of the Orange campus. In 1995, the board named Shahan president, a position he continues to hold today.

Shahan has been involved in numerous community activities. He is a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Orange and served as president of that group. He has been active in the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce and was chairman of the chamber in 1999. President Shahan has been a member of the board of directors for Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas for more than twenty years. He currently serves as president of Roselawn Manor, the group that operates Putnam Place apartment complex that serves residents with mental illness. He and his wife, Bridget, live in Orange and have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Four graduates of Lamar State College – Orange graduated with the designation of summa cum laude, with “highest honors.” Suma Cum laude includes students with a grade point average of 3.9 to 4.0. The students with this designation were Laurenda Ann Moak of Groves, Scott Eugene Howard of Mauriceville, and Lindsey Marie Fontenot and John David McHann, of Orange.

Magna cum laude, or “highest honors is awarded to graduates who earn GPAs pf 3.65 to 3.79. The six students receiving this recognition were Abbey Marie Anderson of Spurger, Chiquita Kasmira Martin of Port Arthur, Jamie L. Vanderweg of Vidor, Jorden Nicole Prewitt of Orange, Brian Christopher Angeron of Evadale, and Jacob Daniel Conner of Silsbee.

Six students graduated cum laude, or with “honors” designation, with GPAs of 3.5 to 3.64. The holding this honor were Ashley Michelle Nelson of Liberty, and Mathew Taylor Kinto, DaNay Marie Hutchinson, McKennah Catherine-Olivia Schichtel, Marcus Antoine Lalonde and Huey Wayne Wiggins, all of Orange.

Please join Lamar State College – Orange in congratulating all of our graduates on their academic accomplishments. Graduates are listed below according to hometown and degree earned:

Associate of Arts Degree

Beaumont: Iesha S. Washington, liberal arts

Groves: Shelly Kay Glorioso Welch, teaching 1

Orange: Melissa Morrow Amodeo and Amanda Lyne Rogers, communications; Kreshonda Chantell Armstrong, Kathryn Louise Daleo, Carmen Nicole Lejeune Hudspeth, Tara Lynn Edgerton Lanphar, Letha Anne Pennington Matthews, Kyle B. Mills, Kevin Shane Picard and Marquisha Andrinique Washington, liberal arts; Elizabeth Nikol Burch, Danielle Elizabeth Hoffpauir, Amber Denise Lund, Savannah Leigh Sheppard and Ashley Rene' Simmons, teaching 1

Silsbee: Jacob Daniel Conner, liberal arts

Spurger: Abbey Marie Lamey, sociology

Vidor: Tommy Eugene Byers and Bobby Joe Eaves, communications; Lori Elle Middleton and Shannon Nicole' Smith, teaching 1.

Associate of Science Degree

Bridge City: Nathan Lee Campos, Ruthli Hernandez and Joseph Michael Lopez, business

Groves: Philip Anthony Shakes, computer science

Liberty: Ashley Michelle Nelson, business

Orange: Lindsey Marie Fontenot, Sarbjit Kaur, John D. McHann, Shawn Christopher Mitchell and Bailey Nicole Newton, business; Marcus Antoine Lalonde, computer science; Dianna Marie Bowens, Daniel Alexander Dorman, Kyle B. Mills, and Amanda Lyne Rogers, criminal justice; Jorden Nicole Prewitt, natural science; Dalton Lee Bonds and Kalvinitrea Samone Green, process operating technology

Silsbee: Jacob Daniel Conner, criminal justice

Associate of Applied Science Degree

Bridge City: Kaylan Justyne Toutcheque Turnbull, medical office professional; Tanner Bryce Cervenka, Ramona L. Salazar Fullerton, Williams Charles Hall, Alec T. Hamilton, Jennifer Marie Gibson Kasko, Joseph Bryce Sampere, Garrett Oliver Thompson, and Ronald G. Webb, Jr. process operating technology

Buna: Blenda St. Clair-Dietrich, medical office professional and Jake Davis Nolan, upward mobility nursing

Evadale: Brian Christopher Angeron, process operating technology

Jasper: Matthew Caleb Clark, process operating technology

Mauriceville: Scott Eugene Howard, industrial technology

Orange: Eyvonne Marie Lewis, business management; Linda Marie Rizk Troquille, industrial technology; Monica Yvonne O'Kelley Colvin, medical office professional; Corey Lee Evans, Slade Ferguson, Kody W. Fisette, Courtney Leanne Guller, Paul Ray Hebert, Denay Marie Hutchinson, Brett Lee Mitchell, Jacob Alexander Sallies, Todd C. Sonnier, Wyndol Paul Wheatley, Branecia Misean White-Kelly, and Brandon Dean Willis, process operating technology; Yasira Elizabeth Phillips, upward mobility nursing

Port Arthur: Chiquita Kasmira Martin, process operating technology

Vidor: Erica Marie Howard and Kasidi Rae Thibodeaux, business management; Bryan David Collins, information technology support specialist; Jamie Lynn Vanderweg, medical office professional; Cristian Pulido Romero, process operating technology

Ville Platte, LA: Denisha Brook Freeman, upward mobility nursing

Vinton: William Joseph Cramer, process operating technology

Certificate of Completion

Beaumont: Ronda Vatresis Cartwright, pharmacy technology

Bridge City: Megan Brooke Peterson, cisco network specialist; Ronald G. Webb, Jr., general studies; Kaylan Justyne Toutcheque Turnbull, medical administrative assistant and medical office assistant; Jennifer Marie Gibson Kasko, Joseph Bryce Sampere, Ronald G. Webb, Jr., process technology

Buna: Blenda St. Clair-Dietrich, medical administrative assistant and medical office assistant; Margaret Yvonne Wood Yates, medical office assistant; Kourtney Renee Simoneaux, pharmacy technology

Groves: Laurenda Ann Moak, medical office assistant

Mauriceville: Lexie Kay Windham, pharmacy technology; Scott Eugene Howard, safety, health, environmental

Orange: Eyvonne Marie Lewis, business management accounting; Elliott Donavon Atkinson, Rachel R. Smith, Brandy D. Winston, cisco network specialist; Daniel Alexander Dorman, Kyle B. Mills, criminal justice and criminal justice corrections; Eyvonne Marie Lewis, entrepreneurship; Monica Yvonne O'Kelley Colvin, medical administrative assistant and medical office assistant; McKennah Catherine-Olivia Schichtel, medical office assistant; Valarie Marie Conway, pharmacy technology; Corey Lee Evans, Roy Randolph Hagan II, process technology; Matthew Taylor Kinto and Huey Wayne Wiggins, safety, health and environmental

Silsbee: Jacob Daniel Conner, criminal justice and criminal justice corrections

Vidor: Bryan David Collins, cisco network specialist, information tech support assistant networking specialist/software development; Erica Marie Howard, entrepreneurship; Bryan David Collins and Brittney Lynn Strother, information tech support specialist software development; Jamie Lynn Vanderweg, medical administrative assistant

Vinton, LA: Melanie Kaye Aven Cotton, pharmacy technology

Institutional Awards

Bridge City: Kaylan Justyne Toutcheque Turnbull, customer service and medical office receptionist

Buna: Blenda St. Clair-Dietrich, customer service and medical office receptionist; Chelsea Marie Rebert, medical office receptionist

Groves: Laurenda Ann Moak, medical office receptionist

Orange: Monica Yvonne O'Kelley Colvin, customer service and medical office receptionist; McKennah Catherine-Olivia Schichtel, medical office receptionist

Vidor: Jamie Lynn Vanderweg, customer service

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