CHARLESTON, S.C. – A total of 71 current and former student-athletes and 33 members of athletic department support groups participated in all three College of Charleston May Commencement ceremonies.
 
A tradition unlike many other colleges and universities, CofC students who complete their undergraduate degrees do not wear robes or caps for the spring commencement ceremony. Instead, women don white dresses and men wear white dinner jackets. For decades, this annual tradition has taken place in front of The College's oldest building, Randolph Hall, with ancient live oak trees draped with Spanish moss setting the stage.
 
This year's scholar athletes included arts management, elementary education, exercise science, public health, accounting, business administration, commercial real estate finance, finance, international business, hospitality & tourism management, marketing, supply chain management, biology, chemistry, data science, mathematics, communication, English, political science, psychology, sociology and urban studies majors.
 
The diverse group also hailed from 20 different states that included California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as eight countries that included Canada, Peru, Austria, Bermuda, Norway, Sweden, Argentina and Trinidad & Tobago.
 
Nineteen student-athletes in the Class of 2018 graduated with honors including Mary Kate Bowers (Raleigh, N.C.) of women's soccer and Helena Nyikos (Neusiedl Am See, Austria) of women's tennis, who both graduated at the top of their class, summa cum laude, with a 3.9-or-better grade-point average. Bowers was one of three CofC Honors College graduates along with Evan Bailey (Canton, Ohio) of men's basketball and Lauren Hollman (Union, Ky.) of beach volleyball.
 
Bailey was the recipient of the Bishop Robert Smith Award, the highest honor given to a graduating senior at the College of Charleston who represents valued contributions in academics, sports and leadership within the Charleston community. He was also selected as senior class representative speaker at commencement and graduated cum laude in chemistry.
 
Those graduating magna cum laude (3.750-3.899 GPA) were Hollman, Rachel McNeely (Westminster, S.C.) of women's tennis and Dakota Steiner (Godfrey, Ill.) of women's soccer.
 
The Class of 2018 was highlighted by Olympian and two-time ICSA Men's Singlehanded National Champion Stefano Peschiera (Lima, Peru) of sailing. The finance graduate competed in the Men's Laser event at the 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He is currently one of the top sailors in the world in his class and was the recipient of the J. Stewart Walker Cup, the highest award given annually by the athletics department to a student-athlete.
 
Former CAA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Blake Butler (Greensboro, N.C.) of baseball completed his degree in marketing after being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 15th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft. He has since played three seasons in the Reds organization and served as a student assistant coach with the baseball program while completing his undergraduate degree this season.
 
All benefited from the academic support and guidance from the CofC Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) staff headed up by Assistant Athletics Director Kate Tiller, associate director Keri McGee, assistant director Lizzy Johnson and academic coordinator Remy Starker.
                                                                                                                                                          
The majority of CofC's graduating student-athletes have also benefited from scholarship funding throughout their academic and athletic careers provided by The Cougar Club, the athletic department's fundraising arm. If you would like to become a member to help continue to support student-athlete scholarships, please contact The Cougar Club at: (843) 953-8255.
 
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON ATHLETICS MAY 2018 GRADUATES (in alphabetical order by last name)
Khalil Abderahman, Men's Soccer, Fort Mill, S.C., Accounting
Leland Archer, Men's Soccer, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, International Business
Evan Bailey, Men's Basketball, Canton, Ohio, Chemistry, Cum Laude, CofC Honors College
Marissa Bamonte, Sailing, Tiverton, R.I., International Business
Mary Kate Bowers, Women's Soccer, Raleigh, N.C., Marketing, Summa Cum Laude, CofC Honors College
Brianna Boyd, Women's Basketball, Ridgeville, S.C., Sociology
Shiclasia Brown, Women's Basketball, Corona, N.Y., Arts Management
Tanisha Brown, Women's Basketball, Myrtle Beach, S.C., Communication
Paul Burdick, Men's Soccer, Old Lyme, Conn., Business Administration
Blake Butler, Baseball, Greensboro, N.C., Marketing
Joe Chealey, Men's Basketball, Orlando, Fla., Business Administration
Clare Dahl, Sailing, Newport Beach, Calif., Sociology
Eli Dent, Men's Soccer, Charleston, S.C., Marketing, Cum Laude
Will Detwiler, Baseball, Camden, S.C., Political Science
Holly Deuterman, Offshore Sailing, Greensboro, N.C., International Business
Logan Devereux, Men's Soccer, Charleston, S.C., Exercise Science
Bradley Dixon, Baseball, Greenwood, S.C., Exercise Science
Sean Donahue, Offshore Sailing, East Dennis, Mass., Accounting
Amber Dorn, Equestrian, Newport Beach, Calif., Biology
Taylor DuPree, Softball, Evans, Ga., Business Administration/Hospitality & Tourism Management, Cum Laude
Corinne Durocher, Offshore Sailing, Monroe, Mich., Communication
John Eck, Men's Basketball, Hilton Head Island, S.C., Business Administration
Summer Edwards, Women's Soccer, Charleston, S.C., Elementary Education
Lorenz Esposito, Men's Soccer, Westport, Conn., Business Administration
Juan Estevarena, Men's Tennis, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Business Administration
Jane Feddersen, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball, Leesburg, Va., Marketing, Cum Laude
Sara Garcia, Softball, Santa Monica, Calif., Arts Management
Cameron Garrett, Baseball, Charleston, S.C., Communication
Josefine Garton, Women's Golf, Linkoping, Sweden, Business Administration
Kallie Golicher, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country, Tampa, Fla., Marketing
Ellen Gose, Women's Soccer, Vienna, Va., English, Cum Laude
Nick Harris, Men's Basketball, Dacula, Ga., Supply Chain Management
Christina Hayden, Equestrian, Edina, Minn., Marketing
Genevieve Henderson, Women's Soccer, Jacksonville, Fla., Urban Studies, Cum Laude
Lauren Hollman, Beach Volleyball, Union, Ky., Biology, Magna Cum Laude, CofC Honors College
Hannah Huizenga, Women's Soccer, Duluth, Ga., International Business
Cameron Johnson, Men's Basketball, Athens, Ga., Business Administration/Hospitality & Tourism Management
Jordin Jones, Softball, Inez, Texas, Accounting
Sarah Jane Jones, Women's Tennis, Jacksonville, Fla., Finance, Cum Laude
Christophe Killian, Sailing, Newport Beach, Calif., Finance
Madison King, Equestrian, Chapin, S.C., Exercise Science
Riley Knudsen, Baseball, Cabot, Ark., Mathematics
Crew Kosiorek, Men's Cross Country, Boiling Springs, S.C., Hospitality & Tourism Management
Vebjorn Krovel, Men's Soccer, Aalesund, Norway, Business Administration
Annie Kuniansky, Equestrian, Atlanta, Ga., Business Administration
Julia Lines, Offshore Sailing, Southampton, Bermuda, Accounting
Katherine Linn, Women's Track & Field, Newhall, Calif., Finance, Cum Laude
Carter Love, Baseball, Charlotte, N.C., Finance
Sarah Lynch, Women's Track & Field, Chalfont, Pa., Communication
Katherine Matheson, Sailing, San Diego, Calif., Marketing, Cum Laude
Grace McCarthy, Sailing, San Diego, Calif., Political Science
Rachel McNeely, Women's Tennis, Westminster, S.C., Data Science, Magna Cum Laude
Logan McRae, Baseball, Florence, S.C., Supply Chain Management
Krissy Mummey, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball, Hudson, Ohio, Business Administration, Cum Laude
Cesar Murillo, Men's Soccer, El Paso, Texas, Accounting
Scott Nord, Offshore Sailing, Knoxville, Tenn., Commercial Real Estate Finance
Helena Nyikos, Women's Tennis, Neusiedl Am See, Austria, International Business, Summa Cum Laude
Rio Parker, Equestrian, Baltimore, Md., Psychology, Cum Laude
Kathleen Perry, Equestrian, Charlottesville, Va., Business Administration
Stefano Peschiera, Sailing, Lima, Peru, Finance
Emily Rees, Equestrian, Glen Cove, N.Y., Finance
Tommy Richter, Baseball, Wayne, Pa., Marketing
Mary Rounce, Women's Soccer, Downers Grove, Ill., Communication
Kevin Shields, Men's Soccer, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Finance
Hannah Showell, Equestrian, Ocean City, Md., Elementary Education
Marissa Small-Towns, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country, Decatur, Ga., International Business
Rio Speller-Drews, Women's Soccer, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, Business Administration/Hospitality & Tourism Management, Cum Laude
Dakota Steiner, Women's Soccer, Godfrey, Ill., Business Administration/Hospitality & Tourism Management, Magna Cum Laude
Jack Thompson, Sailing, Newport Beach, Calif., Commercial Real Estate Finance/Finance, Cum Laude
Britney Vallez, Beach Volleyball, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., Sociology
Audrey Webb, Sailing, Marion, Mass., Public Health, Cum Laude
Tracey Webster, Women's Soccer, Kennesaw, Ga., Marketing
Grace Wilkinson, Offshore Sailing, Tampa, Fla., Marketing
 
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON ATHLETICS SUPPORT GROUPS
Grace Adam, Athletics Communications, East Greenwich, R.I., Marketing
Kelli Adams, Athletic Training, Spartanburg, S.C., Athletic Training, Cum Laude
Austin Alte, Athletic Training, Charleston, S.C., Athletic Training
Sam Biggers, Student-Athlete Academic Services, Stauton, Va., Master of Science in Historic Preservation
LeAnn Boddie, Dance, Lexington, S.C., Exercise Science
Max Clevens, Men's Basketball Manager, Melbourne, Fla., Business Administration
Mady Crabill, Athletic Training, Conway, S.C., Athletic Training
Alex Eaker, Charleston Sports Network, Greenwich, Conn., Master of Fine Arts In Creative Writing
Alexis Elrod, Athletic Training, Piedmont, S.C., Athletic Training
Caroline Gaffney, Charleston Sports Network, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., Communication
Katharine Gallotta, Student-Athlete Academic Services, Suffolk, Va., Master of Science in Historic Preservation
Bonnie Hansley, Charleston Sports Network, Durham, N.C., Communication
Laura Kuroki, Dance, Philadelphia, Pa., Marketing
Seth Lovette, Men's Basketball Manager, Goose Creek, S.C., Exercise Science
Katey Miller, Athletic Training, Columbia, S.C., Athletic Training
Jordan Myers, Athletic Training, Orangeburg, S.C., Athletic Training
Samantha Pairet, Cheer, Farmville, Va., Public Health
Kalene Parker, Student-Athlete Academic Services, Columbia, S.C., Exercise Science
Miranda Phillips, Marketing & Promotions, Moncks Corner, S.C., Marketing
Morgan Roberts, Cheer, Centerville, Ohio, Public Health
Polly Scott, Athletic Training, Marion, S.C., Athletic Training, Cum Laude
Ashlyn Shealy, Athletic Training, Charleston, S.C., Athletic Training, Cum Laude
Sara Steckman, Athletic Training, Charleston, S.C., Athletic Training, Cum Laude
Michael Swanson, Athletic Training, Goose Creek, S.C., Athletic Training
Constance (Brooke) Swetenburg, Marketing & Promotions, Simpsonville, S.C., Communication
Rachel Thomas, Athletic Training, Lexington, S.C., Athletic Training
Catie Vesper, Athletic Training, Margate City, N.J., Athletic Training, Magna Cum Laude
Eric Waldrop, Athletic Training, Johns Island, S.C., Athletic Training
Maret Williamson, Marketing & Promotions, Greenville, S.C., Communication
Michael Wiser, Athletics Communications, Laurel, Md., Marketing and Studio Art
Haley Womack, Student-Athlete Academic Services, Springfield, Mo., Political Science
Aby Youmans, Athletic Training, Charleston, S.C., Athletic Training, Magna Cum Laude
Mary Peyton Zilch, Athletic Training, Sumter, S.C., Athletic Training