TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati will hold is Fall 2018 Commencement ceremonies this week with 24 Bearcats student-athletes earning degrees from the University, including 22 undergraduate degrees and two Master's. Among the 24 Bearcats set to graduate are three that returned to complete their degree work after playing professionally, including soccer's Omar Cummings and baseball's Mike Spina and Connor Walsh.
Commencement is set for Friday and Saturday inside Fifth Third Arena. Friday's events will begin at 2 p.m. and includes Doctoral Hoodings and the Master's Recognition Ceremony while Saturday's Undergraduate Ceremony gets underway at 9:30 a.m. Seating is general admission (first come, first seated). For more information on Commencement, visit https://www.uc.edu/campus-life/commencement.html.
Cummings left UC in 2007 after being selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids where Cummings played the first six years of his professional career, netting 39 goals in the process. He went on to play two years with the Houston Dynamo in MLS (2013-14) before playing for the San Antonio Scorpions in NASL. Most recently, Cummings played parts of the 2015 and 2016 campaigns with FC Cincinnati before retiring from the sport. A native of Jamaica, Cummings also was capped 35 times for the Reggae Boyz, scoring seven international goals between 2008 and 2012.
The baseball program will have three of its former players graduating this week, including a pair of players that returned to complete their work in Spina and Walsh. Spina was drafted from UC in the 11th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft by the Oakland Athletics where played nearly four years in their farm system, reaching as high as Double A. He also played several games in the Atlanta Braves organization before leaving the sport in 2012. Walsh is currently playing in the Chicago White Sox organization after being drafted in the 12th round of the 2014 event. Walsh, a relief pitcher, has been promoted as high as Triple A. The third player is Connor McVey, who signed a free agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 and appeared in 27 games with two rookie teams, the Arizona Rookie League Brewers and the Helena Brewers.
Football had the most graduates in this year's class with 11, including Chris Murphy, who earned his Master's in Information Technology. The other members of the team that are earning their degrees include Malik Clements (Psychology), Marquise Copeland (Criminal Justice), Josiah Deguara (Sport Administration), Chris Ferguson (Criminal Justice), Kimoni Fitz (Sport Administration), Tyrell Gilbert (Criminal Justice), Kahlil Lewis (Criminal Justice), Keith Minor (Health Education - Exercise/Fitness), Zach Wood (Criminal Justice) and Bryan Wright (Health Education - Exercise/Fitness).
Seven other programs will be represented on the graduation stage this weekend with volleyball (3) and men's swimming & diving (2) having multiple representatives. Volleyball graduates include 2018 AVCA All-American and American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Jordan Thompson (Criminal Justice), Jasmine Jones (Criminal Justice) and Abby Williams (Industrial Management) while swimming & diving will be represented by Mitch Godar (Business) and Jon Satre (Accounting).
The remaining graduates include men's basketball's Tre Scott (Interdisciplinary Studies), Amanda Donovan (Information Systems & Marketing (double major)) from lacrosse, Rachel Holloway (Biology) from women's soccer, and Halen Witcher (Health Education - Public & Community) from men's track & field.
// FALL 2018 COMMENCEMENT NOTES
• Students from the Fall 2018 graduating class hail from 46 states (plus Washington, D.C.) and 29 countries
• More than 58 percent of all graduates hail from Ohio and 62 of Ohio's 88 counties are represented in this year's class
• The degree breakdown is as follows: 162 associate degrees; 1,237 bachelor's degrees; 835 master's degrees; 121 doctoral degrees and three professional degrees
• This commencement class includes 230 graduates that began their UC careers at a UC regional campus and 352 graduates transferred to UC from other institutions
• Nearly 17 percent of graduates (383 students) are first-generation college students
// FALL 2018 BEARCATS GRADUATES
Commencement is set for Friday and Saturday inside Fifth Third Arena. Friday's events will begin at 2 p.m. and includes Doctoral Hoodings and the Master's Recognition Ceremony while Saturday's Undergraduate Ceremony gets underway at 9:30 a.m. Seating is general admission (first come, first seated). For more information on Commencement, visit https://www.uc.edu/campus-life/commencement.html.
Cummings left UC in 2007 after being selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids where Cummings played the first six years of his professional career, netting 39 goals in the process. He went on to play two years with the Houston Dynamo in MLS (2013-14) before playing for the San Antonio Scorpions in NASL. Most recently, Cummings played parts of the 2015 and 2016 campaigns with FC Cincinnati before retiring from the sport. A native of Jamaica, Cummings also was capped 35 times for the Reggae Boyz, scoring seven international goals between 2008 and 2012.
The baseball program will have three of its former players graduating this week, including a pair of players that returned to complete their work in Spina and Walsh. Spina was drafted from UC in the 11th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft by the Oakland Athletics where played nearly four years in their farm system, reaching as high as Double A. He also played several games in the Atlanta Braves organization before leaving the sport in 2012. Walsh is currently playing in the Chicago White Sox organization after being drafted in the 12th round of the 2014 event. Walsh, a relief pitcher, has been promoted as high as Triple A. The third player is Connor McVey, who signed a free agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 and appeared in 27 games with two rookie teams, the Arizona Rookie League Brewers and the Helena Brewers.
Football had the most graduates in this year's class with 11, including Chris Murphy, who earned his Master's in Information Technology. The other members of the team that are earning their degrees include Malik Clements (Psychology), Marquise Copeland (Criminal Justice), Josiah Deguara (Sport Administration), Chris Ferguson (Criminal Justice), Kimoni Fitz (Sport Administration), Tyrell Gilbert (Criminal Justice), Kahlil Lewis (Criminal Justice), Keith Minor (Health Education - Exercise/Fitness), Zach Wood (Criminal Justice) and Bryan Wright (Health Education - Exercise/Fitness).
Seven other programs will be represented on the graduation stage this weekend with volleyball (3) and men's swimming & diving (2) having multiple representatives. Volleyball graduates include 2018 AVCA All-American and American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Jordan Thompson (Criminal Justice), Jasmine Jones (Criminal Justice) and Abby Williams (Industrial Management) while swimming & diving will be represented by Mitch Godar (Business) and Jon Satre (Accounting).
The remaining graduates include men's basketball's Tre Scott (Interdisciplinary Studies), Amanda Donovan (Information Systems & Marketing (double major)) from lacrosse, Rachel Holloway (Biology) from women's soccer, and Halen Witcher (Health Education - Public & Community) from men's track & field.
// FALL 2018 COMMENCEMENT NOTES
• Students from the Fall 2018 graduating class hail from 46 states (plus Washington, D.C.) and 29 countries
• More than 58 percent of all graduates hail from Ohio and 62 of Ohio's 88 counties are represented in this year's class
• The degree breakdown is as follows: 162 associate degrees; 1,237 bachelor's degrees; 835 master's degrees; 121 doctoral degrees and three professional degrees
• This commencement class includes 230 graduates that began their UC careers at a UC regional campus and 352 graduates transferred to UC from other institutions
• Nearly 17 percent of graduates (383 students) are first-generation college students
// FALL 2018 BEARCATS GRADUATES
| Connor McVey Baseball Accounting (Master's) |
Mike Spina Baseball Criminal Justice |
Connor Walsh Baseball Entrepreneurship |
Tre Scott M Basketball Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Malik Clements Football Psychology |
Marquise Copeland Football Criminal Justice |
Josiah Deguara Football Sport Administration |
Chris Ferguson Football Criminal Justice |
| Kimoni Fitz Football Sport Administration |
Tyrell Gilbert Football Criminal Justice |
Kahlil Lewis Football Criminal Justice |
Keith Minor Football Health Education |
| Chris Murphy Football Information Technology (Master's) |
Zach Wood Football Criminal Justice |
Bryan Wright Football Health Education |
Amanda Donovan Lacrosse Information Systems & Marketing (double) |
| Omar Cummings M Soccer Criminal Justice |
Rachel Holloway W Soccer Biology |
Mitch Godar M Swim & Dive Business |
Jon Satre M Swim & Dive Accounting |
| Halen Witcher M Track & Field Health Education |
Jasmine Jones Volleyball Criminal Justice |
Jordan Thompson Volleyball Criminal Justice |
Abby Williams Volleyball Industrial Management |