NATCHITOCHES – Former Southland Conference champions, league individual award winners and all-conference performers highlighted Northwestern State's 2024 summer and fall student-athlete graduates who participated in three separate commencement ceremonies across Wednesday and Thursday inside Prather Coliseum.
 
Between the two sets of graduating groups – the university honors its summer graduates alongside its fall graduates during fall commencement activities – there were 45 total current and former student-athletes and staff members who obtained degrees from Northwestern State.
 
The three-time Southland Conference indoor and outdoor champion women's track and field team again produced multiple graduates, including 2024 SLC outdoor heptathlon silver medalist Raven-Symone Jarrett and thrower Ionna Roach, who reached the podium four times in the 2024 SLC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
 
Although she just missed being part of a team championship, master's graduate Janiel Moore made her mark on the track in Natchitoches, collecting nine medals in Southland Conference competition while earning three All-Louisiana team selections. Moore's teammate, Jazz Rasouliyan, also tallied points in the 2022 SLC Indoor Championship, finishing seventh in the distance medley relay.
 
On the men's side, Graham Sokol was a scoring member of the 2022 Demon squad, finishing fourth in the SLC Indoor Championships in the weight throw.
 
Softball's Bronte Rhoden, the 2022 Southland Conference Steve McCarty Citizenship Award winner and former All-Southland Conference pitcher, was one of three former student-athletes who earned their second undergraduate degree.
 
Joining Rhoden as former Southland individual award winners who had degrees conferred upon them was 2022 Southland Football Newcomer of the Year Zach Patterson, who owns the school single-game record for receptions (15).
 
That duo were two of four former all-conference honorees, joined on that list by Jasmin Dixon, a member of the 2021-22 All-Southland Conference Defensive Team. Dixon, who is in the middle of her senior season,
 
Soccer's Jalen Donaldson completed her master's degree after being part of the 2021 Southland Conference regular-season and tournament championship team. Donaldson, a 2019 third-team All-Southland selection and All-Academic second-teamer
 
Of the 45 graduates, three graduated magna cum laude (3.70-3.89 GPA), three were cum laude (3.5-3.69) graduates, seven were honor roll graduates (3.0-3.49), one graduated summa cum laude (3.9-4.0 GPA) and four master's graduates – Kat Marshall (softball), Donaldson, Darrin Peterson Jr. (football graduate assistant) and Moore -- finished their programs with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
 
In addition to the numerous student-athletes who completed their undergraduate and graduate degrees, former Lady Demon tennis coach Luc Godin completed his doctorate of education in adult learning and development. His doctoral dissertation was titled "The HiSet Journey."
 
 
Summer 2024 Athletic Graduation List (Participating in Fall 2024 commencement): 13
 
Baseball (1)

1. Derald (Daniel) Young (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Social Science

 
Men's Basketball (1)

1. Braelon Bush (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honor: Honor Roll

 
Women's Basketball (1)

1. Jasmin Dixon: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Honor Roll
    

 
Football (7)

1. Jordan Banks (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
2. Kolbe Burrell: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Sports Media; Minor: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll
3. Quaterius Hawkins: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Liberal Arts
4. Matthew Pajinag (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science in Nursing; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Magna Cum Laude (Previously earned Bachelor of Science in Biology (5/11/23)
5. Zach Patterson (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology
6. Kobe Stewart (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
7. Cameron Vaughn (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology

 
Softball (1)

1. Bronte Rhoden (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science in Nursing; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Summa Cum Laude (Previously earned Bachelor of Science in Biology (12/15/22)

 
Men's Track & Field (1)

1. Robert Evans (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science

 
Women's Track & Field (1)

1. Kobi (Jazz) Rasouliyan (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science in Nursing; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Honor Roll

 
Fall 2024 Athletic Graduation List: 32
Baseball (1)

1. Corbin Talley: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll

 
Women's Basketball (1)

1. Jordan Todd (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Criminal Justice (Previously earned Bachelor of Science in Psychology (8/3/23)

 
Football (14)

1. Guy (Stevie) Ballard: Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration
2. Tyron (Ty) Hall: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
3. Christian Hawkins: Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Industrial Engineering Technology
4. Raymond (Reed) Hohnstein: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll
5. Travon Jones: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
6. Myles Kitt-Denton: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
7. Jaren Mitchel (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration
8. Johnny Mitchell: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
9. Brett Money: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
10. Ze'Quarrius (Cadillac) Rhone: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration
11. Perry Taylor: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Social Science
12. Sir Michael Veasley: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Cum Laude
13. Dane Wallace: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Finance; Honors: Honor Roll
14. Jacob Washington (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Criminal Justice

 
Soccer (4)

1. Libe Banuelos: Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Biology; Concentration: Biomedical; Honors: Cum Laude
2. Jalen Donaldson (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Arts; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Counseling; Concentration: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Perfect 4.0 GPA)
3. Kora Fry: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Marketing; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
4. Caitlin Le Roux: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Sports Media; Minor: Film; Honors: Cum Laude

 
Softball (1)

1. Kathryn Marshall (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

 
Men's Track & Field (1)

1. Connor Mackie (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Physical Education Grades K-12; Honors: Cum Laude
2. Graham Sokol (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Arts; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Adult Learning & Development; Concentration: Adult & Workforce Development

 
Women's Track & Field (3)

1. Raven-Symone Jarrett: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Social Science
2. Janiel Moore (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Arts; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Counseling; Concentration: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Perfect 4.0 GPA)
3. Ianna Roach (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

 
Administration (6)

1. Donyelle Clark-Kennedy (Former Football Student Worker/Administrative Asst.): Doctor of Education; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Adult Learning & Development; Concentration: Adult Learning & Workforce Development; Doctoral Dissertation: Factors Influencing Pre-K -8^th Grade Educators' Self Efficacy in Supporting Students Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
2. Noah Frederick/Strength and Conditioning Asst. Coach: Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration
3. Luc Godin (Former Head Tennis Coach): Doctor of Education; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Adult Learning & Development; Concentration: Adult Learning & Workforce Development; Doctoral Dissertation: The HiSet Journey
4. Darrin Peterson Jr. (Football Graduate Asst. Coach): Master of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Homeland Security (Perfect 4.0 GPA)
5. Brooklyn Guerra/Sports Information Student Worker: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Sports Media; Minor: Military Leadership
6. Spencer Robinson/Men's Basketball Director of Operations: Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Public Health