Area residents were among approximately 1,700 individuals who met graduate and undergraduate degree requirements and were eligible to participate in the University of Central Missouri’s (UCM) Spring 2026 Commencement exercises on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 in the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center.

Spring and summer graduates were eligible to participate in ceremonies that marked more than 155 years of “Education for Service” at UCM. Below is a list of area students who met degree requirements at UCM.

To be eligible for graduation with honors, an undergraduate student must have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 and completed a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit at UCM with a GPA of 3.50. Those with a grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74 graduate Cum Laude; 3.75 to 3.84, Magna Cum Laude; and 3.85 and above Summa Cum Laude, based on whichever GPA is lower, their cumulative GPA or their GPA at UCM.

Local students who met the graduation requirements are as follows:

Undergraduate

Concordia

JaeSi Hentges, BS; Hali Rainey, BSBA, Summa Cum Laude; Eli Taulman, BS, Cum Laude

Higginsville

Diondre Martin, BS; Tyler Soendker, BS; Laney Summers, BSBA

Lexington

Laurel Farris, BSE; Lorin Jennings, BFA, Magna Cum Laude; Sarah Schumacher, BS, Cum Laude; Jordan Smith, BSBA; Johnathan Taylor, BS; Wesley Young, BS

Marshall

Hannah McDonald, BFA, Cum Laude; Jessica Parada, BSBA

Odessa

Abigail Cook, BSE; Peyton Davis, BS; Landyn Furney, BS; Ryan Hallier, BSBA; Joshua McCart, BSBA; Isabella Perez, BSBA, Magna Cum Laude

Sweet Springs

Corbin Zimmerschied, BS, Summa Cum Laude

Waverly

Allie Wesley, BS, Summa Cum Laude

Graduate

Concordia

Cole Tyler, MS

Marshall

Ilsi Benitez-Reyes, MS; Anna Bergstrom, MS

Wellington

Krystal Bryan, MSE; Morgan Weedman, MSE