University of Arkansas at Little Rock

For Ruby Trotter, graduating from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has become a family tradition. Because she's a double major in chemistry and Spanish, she will likely walk across the stage twice on May 14 - during the morning ceremony and in the afternoon.

As a private duty nurse, Shannon Marlar has a very special role providing healthcare to those who can't leave their home. Marlar, a single mother of two from Sparkman, Arkansas, serves many important roles - a healthcare provider, a caregiver, and a shoulder to cry on for family members. Marlar has overcome incredible odds to fulfill her dream of earning her bachelor's degree in nursing. She will graduate May 14 at UA Little Rock's Jack Stephens Center. She is going to use her expertise to open up a new business that will provide at-home medical care for people who are homebound.

One University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate has fulfilled her dream of completing her college education and her longtime goal of becoming a teacher. Christen Alsup, 36, of Benton, will graduate May 14 from UA Little Rock with a bachelor's degree in elementary education 19 years after she first started college.

Brittney Harding has wanted to become a nurse ever since she was a little girl. She grew up watching her mother become a nurse and even attended some of her classes as a child. "The moment when my mother passed her final exam, I had this sense of wanting to be like my mom when I grew up," Harding said. "I remember the rewards she got from being a nurse, and that was an inspiration as well as my mom's stepmom, who was also a nurse. Having that foundation of nurses in my family secured my desire to be a nurse when I was a little girl."

Cassandra Dean, a mother of six, is set to graduate with her bachelor's degree in sociology May 14, marking the fourth degree she's earned from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Lauren Klempel, of Austin, Arkansas, has dreamed of becoming a nurse ever since she was a little girl. The mother of three is now getting the chance to work her dream career after graduating this month with an associate degree in nursing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Donaghey Scholar Mohib Hafeez will graduate on May 14 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He will attend UAMS in the fall to study medicine.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock basketball star Sali Kourouma has received all-conference honors from the Sun Belt Conference.

In 2016, Chika Okoli moved to the United States from Nigeria, hoping to start a new career and a new life with his wife and three sons. This new chapter in life started off with a major obstacle. His wife's VISA was delayed, so Okoli traveled to the U.S. with his two oldest sons while his wife, who was then pregnant with his youngest son, remained in Nigeria. The family would stay separated for more than two years while they waited for Mrs. Okoli's VISA to be approved.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock congratulates its fall 2021 graduates with multiple degrees.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock announces its fall 2021 graduates.

In 2006, Veronica Tess Myers, of Little Rock, made the difficult decision to leave college to ensure her son, Alexander, got the education he deserved. Myers promised herself that she would one day return to complete her college education. "I started my college journey at UA Little Rock in 2000, and then stopped out in 2006 due to the dynamics of being a single mother and to take care of my profoundly autistic son, Alexander," Myers said. Fifteen years later, Myers fulfilled her lifelong goal of completing college and graduated from UA Little Rock with a bachelor's degree in applied communication at the end of the fall 2021 semester.

Acadia Roher is graduating this month with a master's degree in public history from UA Little Rock. After completing her thesis, "Urban Renewal in Little Rock's Dunbar Historic Neighborhood: A Walking Tour," the new graduate from New Orleans will begin her career as a historical research associate in Maryland.

Anitrea Graydon is a wife, mother of two, a student, a business owner, and community volunteer from Jacksonville, Arkansas. She will receive a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree from UA Little Rock on Dec. 18. She is not only a dedicated community leader, but she worked consistently to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout her academic career.

A UA Little Rock Student is graduating this fall with a master's degree in public history. Christy Hendricks, a native of Ward, Arkansas, will graduate Dec. 18. For her thesis, Hendricks made a comprehensive interpretation analysis of the Quapaw Native Americans and created fact sheets for the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitors Center that would further the knowledge of Native American history in the area of Arkansas Post.

Joseph Sepulveda, of Cabot, Arkansas, is fulfilling his dream of making the world a better place by designing solar arrays at an up and coming Little Rock startup company. Sepulveda will graduate Dec. 18 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from UA Little Rock. Since May, Sepulveda has worked as a solar coordinator at Entegrity Energy Partners, where he is responsible for designing, constructing, and selling solar arrays.

Robert Alvarez, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has just completed his goal of finishing his bachelor's degree 25 years after he first attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Alvarez will graduate Dec. 18 as the first graduate of UA Little Rock's new online degree program in political science with emphasis in international studies, as well as a minor in economics.

Whitney Gass, a native of Emerson, Arkansas, was never your average Ph.D. student. Unlike most of the members of her cohort who were full-time students with graduate assistantships, Gass balanced her part-time doctoral classes while being a wife, mother of two, and criminal justice professor at Southern Arkansas University. "Getting the degree is for my future and my family, but I felt selfish at moments for having children and working on the Ph.D," Gass said. "They didn't choose for me to work on this degree, so I made sure I didn't miss dance classes or t-ball games. That wouldn't be fair for them. Working on your degree with a newborn isn't always easy."

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student is researching how urban high school teachers view preparing African American students for college. Leah Hansberry, who lives in Springfield, Missouri, will graduate from UA Little Rock in December with a Doctor of Education in higher education. Her dissertation is entitled, "Classroom Practices of Urban High School Teacher's Pedagogy Strategies and Approaches for Preparing African American Students for College."

Josiah Johnson, a Donaghey Scholar and senior from Sherwood, is graduating this semester with a BBA in finance and a BBA in economics. During his time at UA Little Rock, Johnson has been an integral part of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center's Startup Team, which specializes in assisting clients who have never been in business or had to learn about business before.

For more than a decade, Aresh Assadi has been helping the students and employees of UA Little Rock with career and personal counseling and mental health education. This month, Assadi, assistant director of counseling services at UA Little Rock, will graduate with a Doctor of Education in Higher Education with a concentration in student affairs.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock congratulates its spring 2021 graduates with multiple degrees.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock announces its spring 2021 graduates.

Chance Melby, a Donaghey Scholar from Cabot, first got hooked on cybersecurity when he interned with the Cabot Public School District Technology Department during high school. "Originally, I was accepted into the Donaghey Scholars Program and that solidified my choice into going to UA Little Rock," Melby said. "I also heard the Computer Science Program was one of the best in the state. I saw the opportunities that computer science and the City of Little Rock could give me. I wanted to get my foot in the door and learn new things. I knew UA Little Rock was a place where I could excel." He graduated this semester with a bachelor's degree in computer science with a focus on cybersecurity and is looking forward to a future career in cybersecurity. UA Little Rock is starting its first bachelor's degree program in cybersecurity this fall. Melby has been instrumental in the development of the Cyber Arena, which provides cloud-based cybersecurity education for K-12 students in Arkansas.

The impressive achievements of future doctor Stuti Chatterjee have earned her the honor of the 2021 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of UA Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award. "The Whitbeck Award is given to the outstanding graduating senior," said Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program. "Stuti is outstanding in so many ways, but more than that, she is inspirational. She represents the best of UA Little Rock. Stuti's education has changed her. It has given her so much, and she has given so much back to the university and the larger community."

Babatunji "Ted" Ogunjobi is graduating this month with a master's degree in business information systems from UA Little Rock and a perfect 4.0 GPA. Even though he had previously founded three startup companies, Ogunjobi had never joined a business program before UA Little Rock. "I chose the Business Information Systems Program because the curriculum blends acquiring business management and technology skills relevant for the technology driven world we live in today," he said. A native of Nigeria, Ogunjobi is putting his business skills and entrepreneurial mindset to good use as a senior business program manager at Microsoft. "There I will join the team in the quest to build products that empower every individual and organization in the world," Ogunjobi said.

After studying at UA Little Rock as an exchange student in 2013, Tuja Khaund, a native of Dibrugarh, India, couldn't stay away. "It was very exciting at first," Khaund said. "I had never been out of my country. It was one of the biggest challenges. We got to learn about different cultures and people and we made a lot of friends. It was quite the journey." After her study abroad experience, Khaund returned to Little Rock as a full-time computer science student in 2014. Now she is graduating with a Ph.D. in computer and information science and a new career as a senior data scientist at Walmart Inc.

Parker Lehnen, a native of Van Buren, Arkansas, graduated this semester with a bachelor's degree in applied communication. He eventually wants to work in higher education so he can advocate for students with disabilities. He also aspires to speak at conferences on Autism awareness.

Carletta Rainey is achieving a lifelong dream of completing her bachelor's degree as she graduates this month from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor's degree in applied communication. Rainey works as a nurse at the UAMS Women's Health Clinic and is a U.S. Army veteran who has served overseas in South Korea and Kuwait. "As a transfer student who stopped out for many years, she came to UA Little Rock in 2019," said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication. "Facing the odds against her with a recent cancer diagnosis, she has overcome these odds to complete her education."

Jennifer Tippit, of Benton, Arkansas, graduated in the spring 2021 semester with a bachelor's degree in applied communication. She transferred to UA Little Rock from UA-Pulaski Technical College and is the first in her family to get a bachelor's degree.