Fourth cohort honored for academic excellence, compassion, and commitment to transforming lives
The moment arrived not with fanfare, but with a quiet sense of purpose.
One by one, members of Presbyterian College’s fourth cohort of Doctor of Occupational Therapy graduates crossed the stage in Belk Auditorium on May 2, pausing briefly as doctoral hoods were placed over their shoulders—symbols not just of academic achievement, but of a calling they are now prepared to answer.
By the time the final name was read, the Class of 2026 had done more than complete a rigorous doctoral program. They had stepped into a profession defined by service, compassion, and the daily work of helping others reclaim meaning in their lives.
“Today marks not just the culmination of your academic journey, but the beginning of your calling,” said PC president Dr. Anita Gustafson. “The calling to serve others through the transformative practice of occupational therapy.”
A Profession Rooted in Purpose
The ceremony, held at 11 a.m., brought together faculty, families, and friends to celebrate a cohort shaped as much by Presbyterian College’s values as by the demands of a doctoral curriculum.
From the opening processional to the recitation of the Occupational Therapy Oath, each element of the ceremony reinforced a central theme: that the work awaiting these graduates extends far beyond clinics and hospitals.
“While we live, we serve,” Gustafson said, echoing the college’s guiding principle. “Education finds its highest purpose when knowledge is applied to service to others.”
That message resonated throughout the ceremony, underscoring a profession built around helping individuals engage in the everyday activities—occupations—that give life meaning.
“The word ‘occupation’ in your title speaks to something profound,” Gustafson said. “The everyday activities that occupy our time and give our lives purpose.”
Prepared for a Moment That Matters
For provost and vice president of academic affairs Dr. Erin McAdams, the ceremony was both a celebration and a recognition of the discipline required to reach it.
“Earning a doctoral degree requires a great amount of determination and hard work,” McAdams said. “You have demonstrated not only excellence in a program of rigorous study, but also a genuine commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of other people.”
That preparation, she said, positions graduates to enter a field where their skills are urgently needed.
“You stand ready to enter a field that profoundly changes lives and empowers others to achieve their fullest potential,” McAdams said.
She also credited the program’s faculty for shaping the cohort into professionals equipped not only with technical knowledge, but with the values necessary to apply it.
“Your expertise, mentorship, and passion for teaching have been instrumental in shaping these graduates into compassionate, skilled, and ethical professionals,” she said.
You stand ready to enter a field that profoundly changes lives and empowers others to achieve their fullest potential.”
Dr. Erin McAdams, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
The Shift from Student to Clinician
That transition—from classroom learning to clinical practice—stood at the heart of the commencement address delivered by Dr. Karen McWaters, an assistant professor at Middle Georgia State University and former adjunct faculty member in PC’s OTD program.
McWaters described the shift as one of the most profound changes the graduates will experience.
“As emerging occupational therapists, this change represents a significant leap in your personal and professional development,” she said.
In the classroom, she noted, students benefit from time, structure, and guidance. In practice, those safeguards give way to real-time decision-making and the responsibility of caring for real people.
“The classroom is, in many ways, a controlled environment,” McWaters said. “Healthcare, at its core, is about real people—people with unique stories, lives, and needs.”
That realization can be both exciting and daunting.
“Suddenly, you’re expected to…make decisions that impact other people’s lives,” she said.
But the graduates, she emphasized, are more prepared than they may feel in those first moments of uncertainty.
“You have learned how to learn,” McWaters said.
That ability, she added, will serve as the foundation for continued growth in a profession where learning never truly ends.
“Our profession calls our daily work practice, not perfection,” she said.
Excellence Recognized
Alongside the ceremonial traditions of hooding and oath-taking, the program also recognized students for academic excellence, leadership, and service.
Academic Award of Distinction
- Edi Cummings
- Shelbi Frederick
- Imani Hunt
Leadership & Service Award of Distinction
- Cynthia Stoddard
- Grace Wilder
Professional Development Award of Distinction
- Kiley Mangum
Leadership in Community Innovation Award of Distinction
- Grace Durham
- Ivy Massey
Professional Research & Scholarship Award of Distinction
- Dr. Stuart Cramer, Prima Health
- Sean Duncan
- Briana McCalla
Clinical Education Award of Distinction
- Dr. Corrine Gillion, Encompass Health
Clinical Education Award of Service
- Cristina Gonzalez
- Dr. Mark Adams, Adjunct, Education Department
Latin honors were also awarded to members of the class, with students earning cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude distinctions based on their academic performance.
A Legacy Carried Forward
For all its formal elements, the ceremony ultimately returned to a simple but powerful idea: that the work ahead will be measured not only in professional success, but in lives changed.
“Your education at Presbyterian College has prepared you not just for a career, but for a lifetime of service and leadership,” McAdams said.
McWaters echoed that sentiment, encouraging graduates to embrace the uncertainty that comes with their new roles and to remain committed to compassionate, patient-centered care.
“As you move into clinical practice, embrace the uncertainty… and constantly strive to provide compassionate, high-quality care,” she said.
‘Let’s Go Change the World’
As the ceremony drew to a close, OTD program director Dr. Moni Keen stepped forward with a message that matched the moment—brief, direct, and deeply personal.
“There you are. You’ve made it,” Keen said.
She paused, looking out at the graduates she had helped guide through the program.
“You guys have been nothing short of remarkable, and it’s been an honor to be part of your journey,” she said.
Then came the charge that sent the Class of 2026 out of Belk Auditorium and into the profession they are now prepared to serve.
“Now let’s go change the world.”
2026 Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program Graduates
- Emma Bentley-Gottel
- Keeley Bowman Pitts — Magna Cum Laude
- Amy Clark — Pi Theta Epsilon, SOTA Board Member
- Ashlynn Clary — Cum Laude
- Maggie Cooper — Magna Cum Laude, SOTA Board Member
- Edi Cummings — Summa Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon, SOTA Board Member
- Sean Duncan — Cum Laude
- Grace Durham — Cum Laude, Student Ambassador
- Shelbi Frederick — Summa Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon
- Cristina Gonzalez — Summa Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon, SOTA Board Member
- Dee Graves
- Madison Howard — Student Ambassador
- Grace Howell — Cum Laude
- Jenna Hudson — Magna Cum Laude, SOTA Board Member
- Imani Hunt — Summa Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon
- Courtney Hynes — Cum Laude
- Madeline Johnson — Magna Cum Laude, Student Ambassador
- Zoe Johnson — Magna Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon
- Anna Lawton — Magna Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon, SOTA Board Member
- Kiley Mangum — Summa Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon, SOTA Board Member
- Stephanie Martinez — Cum Laude
- Ivy Massey — Cum Laude, SOTA Board Member
- Emily McCall — Magna Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon
- Briana McCalla — Magna Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon, SOTA Board Member
- Jessica Pea — Cum Laude
- J Perry — Pi Theta Epsilon
- Ja’la Setzer — Cum Laude
- Annelise Smith — Magna Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon, Student Ambassador, SOTA Board Member
- Emma Wiford — Magna Cum Laude, Pi Theta Epsilon, SOTA Board Member
- Grace Wilder — Magna Cum Laude, Student Ambassador, SOTA Board Member
