Fort Leonard Wood hosts combined college graduation event

By Brian Hill, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs OfficeAugust 9, 2023

Truman Army Education and Personnel Testing Center Education Services Specialist Dr. Ashley Galloway speaks at Fort Leonard Wood’s Combined College Commencement Ceremony Friday at the Main Post Chapel. In addition to being the student speaker at...
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Truman Army Education and Personnel Testing Center Education Services Specialist Dr. Ashley Galloway speaks at Fort Leonard Wood’s Combined College Commencement Ceremony Friday at the Main Post Chapel. In addition to being the student speaker at the event, Galloway also received her doctorate in Education Administration from Lindenwood University during the ceremony. (Photo Credit: Photo by Brian Hill, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL
Graduates listen to Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Arzabala’s prepared remarks Friday at the Main Post Chapel during Fort Leonard Wood’s Combined College Commencement Ceremony, hosted by the...
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Graduates listen to Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Arzabala’s prepared remarks Friday at the Main Post Chapel during Fort Leonard Wood’s Combined College Commencement Ceremony, hosted by the Truman Army Education and Personnel Testing Center. (Photo Credit: Photo by Brian Hill, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Graduates from on- and off-post colleges and universities received their diplomas Friday at the Main Post Chapel, as Fort Leonard Wood’s Truman Army Education and Personnel Testing Center hosted its 38th Combined College Commencement Ceremony.

Providing remarks at the ceremony was Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Arzabala, who said, “it is great to see all these talented individuals here accomplishing their degrees.”

“Higher education is not easily attained,” Arzabala said. “It takes commitment; it takes passion to achieve.”

Arzabala also thanked the families and friends of the graduates, who, he said helped make these accomplishments possible.

“They helped cover down with the household and the family responsibilities while you all completed your assignments,” he said.

The student speaker at the event was Truman Army Education and Personnel Testing Center Education Services Specialist Dr. Ashley Galloway, who also received her doctorate in Education Administration from Lindenwood University during the ceremony.

In her speech, Galloway, an Army veteran, who attended basic combat training here in 2004, noted the similarities she felt in accomplishing the transition from civilian to Soldier, and accomplishing her higher-education goals.

“Regardless of what degree you will be receiving when you walk across this stage today, sit back, close your eyes and let the realization sink in that you are worth it and you have done it,” Galloway said. “But you are not done. Look toward the future, yet also set time aside to live in the moment. Congratulations, class of 2023 — not only are you worth it, but you have done it.”

More information on higher education opportunities here can be found on the Fort Leonard Wood website.

Below is a list of Friday’s graduates — including those who did not attend the ceremony — listed alphabetically by last name and school:

American Military University

Rosa Morales Gonzales, Lakesha Yvette Quimbley

Capella University

Robert Houston

Central Texas College

Kirk Blackman

Columbia College

Tyler Adams, Gnapa Akaffou, Honey Akyeampong, Eric Alcante, Jose Alvarez, Luisangel Anglero, Angel Aviles, Keesan Beverly, Ashly Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Brandon Bush, Elijah Carpenter, Ryan Clayton, Justin Compton, Joshua Cope, Charles Felker, Tyler Fladger, Alejandro Fonseca Romero, Nicole French, Shakir Gilmore, Michael Gonzalez, Javier Hernandez, Jacob Hill, Curtis Hudson, Michael Joseph, Joseph Kendall, Ian Long, Yana Maksymova, Jonell Martinez, Vladimir Mateo, Anthony McMurray, Roy Meeks, Christy Meredith, Rigo Morales, Franklin Myers, Blasa Ortiz, Nichol Perez, Tatiana Pimentel, Justin Piper, Tiffany Poucher, Tucker Powers, Chelsea Reed, Sherrie Sayles, Wilmer Serrano, Brody Shrubshell, Caleb Spurgeon, Rodney Stewart, Brandon Terrell, Michael Tiedemann, Ulises Toscano, Matthew Vaughn, Niesha Wagner-Davis, Tre Webb, Carlie Wheeler, Jonathan Woodruff, Daniel Yeates, Adam Young

Drury University Global Online

Chris Davies, Scott Greene, Scott Henshaw, Josh Jones, Thomas Kneipp, Aaron Lucio, Angela Mishler, Toni Morris, Adolph Neuman, Abigail Reno, Geoffrey Shelton, Gary Smith, Kristina Smith, Kyle Vogt

Indian Wesleyan University

Nekoesha Taylor

Liberty University

Cynthia Harris, Jacob Jean-Baptiste

Lincoln University

Carla Begins, Ava Blake, Ammie Davis, Shelbi French, Savannah Fruin, Anali Herrera, Amy Humphrey, Kelsey Jeffers, Andrew Knell, Tasha Prescott, Krystal Rester, Candice Williams

Lindenwood University

Ashley Galloway

Ozarks Technical Community College

Natalie Avila, Tyler Cline, Megan Dempsey, Danielle Hicks, Adrienne Hutchings, Autumn Troutman, Jasmine Turner

Park University

Dean Registe, Britney Williams

Perdue University Global

Nicholas Alan Orren

University of Maryland Global Campus

Alawa Mawilanda Kpamborga, Diana Soderquist, Michael Alan Case

Webster University

Taylor Jean Antonich, Micah Chad Barley, Angel Luis Ortiz III, Baylor Broughton, Brendon Wamsley, Brian Grace, Brittany Wilder, Caleb Mann, Casey Marie Hearet, Christopher Hart, Don Stewart, Eirkur Petur Crockett, Gregg Janson, Harriet Torrez-Carasquillio, Jake Austin Morgan, John Greenwald III, Jourdan Flick, Keyle Reyes-Powers, Levi Gervasi, Roger Thompson, Sammi Messiha, Trevor Yust, Wasiu Ekundayo Kazeem, William James Jr.