May 16, 2016
DeKALB, Ill. – Fifty-eight current and former Northern Illinois University student-athletes were added to the ranks of NIU alumni this weekend as commencement ceremonies for spring and summer graduates were held at the NIU Convocation Center.
The student-athletes earned their degrees in 24 different majors represented by five different colleges on the DeKalb campus. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences boasted the most Huskie graduates (25), following by the College of Business (16), Health and Human Sciences (8), Engineering (5) and Education (4). Communications, with 10 student-athlete graduates, and marketing (7) are the top individual majors in this year’s class.
The grads includes multiple individuals who have earned athletic and academic honors during their tenure at NIU, led by 2015 Academic All-American Nelle Youel (women’s tennis). NCAA Regional Qualifier Lauren Africano (gymnastics), All Mid-American Conference performers Paris Logan (football), Emily Naegele (softball) and Frederic Cadieux (men’s tennis), as well as men’s basketball record-holder Travon Baker are among the familiar names who graduated this past weekend.
Five of the 12 football grads will return to play their senior seasons for the Huskies in 2016 as quarterback Drew Hare, offensive linemen Levon Myers and Lincoln Howard, wide receiver Clayton Glasper and defensive end Ladell Fleming earned their degrees Saturday. Football had the largest group of student-athlete spring graduates, followed by baseball (10) and women’s soccer (8) with 15 different Huskie teams boasting at least one graduate this spring.
“Congratulations to our spring and summer 2016 graduates,” said NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier. “From the time these student-athletes are first recruited by NIU, we talk about the end goal of graduation and this weekend, it happens for these 58 Huskies. I am extremely proud of this group, they have represented NIU in competition while getting it done in the classroom and in the community.”
Baseball (10)
Justin Fletcher - Business Administration
* Tommy Hook - General Emphasis
Stephen Letz - General Emphasis
Ryan Olson - Human Resource Management
Dirk Ormsby - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Jordan Ruckman - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Justin Ruckman - Sociology
Daniel Seiton - Finance
Alex Smith - Finance
Johnny Zubek - Political Science/Public Law
Men’s Basketball (4)
Travon Baker - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Darrell Bowie - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Chuks Iroegbu - Economics
Michael Orris - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Cross Country/Track & Field (4)
Latesha Bigby - General Emphasis
Alison Olson - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Hannah Savage - Biological Sciences
Taylor Vinhal - Health Sciences/Pre-Physical Therapy
Football (12)
Matthew Baltimore - Communications/Media Studies
Aidan Conlon - Industrial Management & Technology
* Ladell Fleming - Organizational & Corporate Communications
* Clayton Glasper - Kinesiology
Donovan Gordon - Electrical and Computer Engineering
* Drew Hare - Leadership and Management
* Lincoln Howard - Kinesiology
Michael Ippolito - Business Administration
Paris Logan - Sociology
Siosifa Malolo - General Emphasis
* Levon Myers - Marketing
Rob Sterling - Accountancy
Men’s Golf (2)
Nick Huggins - Journalism/Organizational & Corporate Communications
Jordan Wetsch - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Women’s Golf (3)
Connie Ellett - Marketing
Taylor Ellett - Elementary Education
Natalya Schleebs - Speech Language Pathology/Audiology
Gymnastics (4)
Lauren Africano - Organizational & Corporate Communications
Natalie Amadio - Communications – Media Studies
Kylie Clark - Speech Language Pathology/Audiology
Morgan Johnson - Hospitality Management
Men’s Soccer (2)
Bertrand Gaschot - Geology
Charlie Oliver - Environmental Geosciences
Women’s Soccer (8)
Ashley Auble - Marketing
* Haley Cummings - Mechanical Engineering
Nicole Gobbo - Marketing
Mackenzie Lewis - Mathematics Education
Alexandria McBride - Marketing
Ashley Neubeck - Accountancy
Maggie Renfro - Communications - Media Studies
Kate Wirthlin - Marketing
Softball (1)
Emily Naegele - Health Sciences/Pre-Physical Therapy
Men’s Tennis (2)
Frederic Cadieux - Marketing
Simon Formont - Finance
Women’s Tennis (3)
Cristina Alvarez - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Arantza De La Torre - Mechanical Engineering
Nelle Youel - Health Sciences/Pre-Physical Therapy
Volleyball (2)
Alexis “Pookie” Gonzalez - Kinesiology
Lauren Zielinski - Health Sciences/Pre Physical Therapy
Wrestling (1)
William Chancey - Sociology
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