Ohio University Eastern Honors Class of 2026 at Graduation Recognition Ceremony
Press Release
ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Ohio University Eastern in St. Clairsville celebrated the achievements of its graduates during the Graduation Recognition Ceremony.
The ceremony recognized students who completed degrees in Summer 2025, Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
Ohio University Eastern’s Interim Dean of Campus and Community Relations Richard W. Greenlee opened the ceremony by honoring the accomplishments of the graduates and the dedication of the faculty, staff and community who supported them along the way. He also reflected on the significance of a brass tag presented to graduates, symbolizing the resilience and hard work of Appalachian coal miners and drawing a parallel to the perseverance required to earn a college degree.
Student speaker Jessica Schwartz of Salesville, Ohio, addressed her classmates with a message centered on kindness, perseverance and the impact each graduate can have on others.
“In a world full of computers and AI everywhere we look, it is easy to forget that the way we make others feel has almost nothing to do with our brains and everything to do with our hearts,” Schwartz said. “I know that every individual here today has the potential to make everywhere they go a better place to be and every life that they touch improved in some way.”
Schwartz, a first-generation college student, reflected on the support systems that helped shape her journey and encouraged her classmates to carry those lessons forward.
Keynote speaker Austin Warehime, a 2016 Ohio University Eastern graduate and attorney, delivered remarks encouraging graduates to recognize their preparation, embrace their potential and remain connected to their roots.
“Never let anyone make you feel small because you started somewhere local,” Warehime said.
“There is a difference between being underestimated and being unprepared. They are not the same thing.”
Reflecting on his own journey, Warehime credited Ohio University Eastern for preparing him to succeed beyond the region.
“This campus taught me how to think, how to write and how to work,” he said. “That confidence did not come from nowhere. It came from here.”
He encouraged graduates to embrace both ambition and purpose, challenging them to think about the broader impact of their work and lives.
“The question is not whether you will build,” Warehime said. “The question is what you will build, and who it will serve.”
Warehime also emphasized the importance of investing in communities and creating opportunities for others.
“I believe communities change when enough people decide to stay, or return, or pour themselves into a place with love and discipline,” he said.
Ohio University Eastern alumnus Jason Garczyk was named the 2026 recipient of the Austin C. Furbee Award, the campus’s highest alumni honor. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional service to both the university and the community. Named for Austin C. Furbee, whose vision and leadership were instrumental in founding the Eastern Campus, the honor reflects a legacy of civic commitment and dedication to expanding educational opportunities in the Ohio Valley. The award is supported by an endowment established by his wife, Gladys Furbee.
Outstanding Student Awards were presented to Crystal May, Lacey Dobson, Jessica Schwartz, Ngoc Thao Vy Hoang, Timothy O’Grady III and Grace Moore. These awards recognize students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and meaningful contributions to the campus and surrounding community.
Faculty members presented degree candidates across a range of associate and bachelor’s programs, including business, education, nursing, social work, psychology and exercise physiology.
Among the graduates were students earning honors distinctions of cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude, reflecting high levels of academic achievement.
Ohio University Eastern’s Class of 2026 represents a diverse group of students prepared to enter the workforce, continue their education and contribute to their communities across the region and beyond.
As the ceremony concluded, graduates were encouraged to carry forward the lessons learned during their time at OHIO Eastern and to use their education to make a lasting difference.
“Ohio University Eastern is not a lesser version of somewhere else,” Warehime said. “It is a place that changes lives.”
Graduates included:
- Associate Degrees: Emma Boulet, Riley Broomhall, Emily Kuhn, and Hunter Riser
- Bachelor Degrees: Kearsten Bethel, Paige Bilyeu, Lacey Dobson, Evan Edwards, Kayla Ennis, Audrey Erbach, Marshall Fish, Paige Gorby, Maggie Goudy, Kaylee Graham, Colton Grimm, Emmie Halaja, Katelyn Hart, Dakota Hess, Wilhelm Hesse, Ryan Hicks, Ngoc Thao Vy Hoang, Makayla Kelly, Jared Kernen, Alexis Kilmas, Isaac Knowlton, Phaedra Rae Jackson, Carly Marchbank, Crystal May, Lauren McFarland, Caleb McWhorter, Brianna Merkel, Grace Moore, Timothy O’Grady III, Karlie Parker, Baylee Rex, Jackson Romshak, Jessica Schwartz, Zoe Showalter, Emma Sroka, Brent Smith, Elijah Smith, Ignatius Steward, Adele Stillion, Hannah Thoburn, Abigail Toothman, Breanna Waggoner, Alayna Wells, Amelia Woollard, Jessica Yost
(Ohio University Eastern Press Release)
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