Individual conference champions, tournament record holders, members of NCAA Tournament teams and a Major League Baseball draftee were among the 46 current and former student-athletes and staff members who collected degrees from Northwestern State across three ceremonies inside Prather Coliseum on Wednesday and Thursday.

Among the 46 honored in combined ceremonies that highlighted summer and fall graduates, four had perfect 4.0 GPAs while 18 earned either summa cum laude (3.9-4.0 GPA), magna cum laude (3.7-3.89), cum laude (3.5-3.69) or honor roll (above 3.0) distinction.

Highlighting the graduating group are two of Northwestern State’s most decorated track and field throwers Diamante and Djimon Gumbs, who headline a talented group of track and field graduates.

Djimon Gumbs, who earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies, is a two-time NCAA East Regional qualifier who competed in the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in both the discus and shot put. Djimon Gumbs owns the school record in the discus with a throw of 205-11 that also set the Southland Conference and British Virgin Islands records. Djimon Gumbs is a two-time Southland Conference outdoor shot put gold medalist and won the 2022 SLC Outdoor discus event as well while collecting silver in the 2023 event. He added a bronze medal in the 2023 SLC Outdoors in the javelin.

Diamante Gumbs has qualified for the NCAA East Regional in each of his two seasons at Northwestern State, competing in the discus both years and the shot put in 2022. Also a general studies graduate, Diamante Gumbs owns Southland Conference titles in the weight throw (2022 indoors) and in the discus (2023 outdoors). He collected silver medals at the 2022 SLC Outdoor Championships in both the shot and discus while adding a bronze in the hammer throw.

The Gumbs twins were joined as NSU track and field graduates by two-time SLC silver medalist and 2023 NCAA East Regional long jump qualifier Andrew Gilreath (business administration), 2023 NCAA East Regional 4×100 relay qualifier Austin Simoneaux (master’s in health and human performance) and three-time Southland Conference pole vault medalist Karlyn Trahan (nursing).

Track and field’s moments weren’t limited to the graduates as NSU track and field student-athlete Ebenezer Aggrey, NSU’s Student Government Association vice president and Mr. NSU, delivered the invocation at all three ceremonies.

All-Southland Conference running back Scooter Adams earned his psychology degree, marking his second undergraduate degree from NSU. Two-time Academic All-Southland softball performer Keely Dubois completed her undergraduate degree in health and human performance while women’s basketball guard Jiselle Woodson, who set the Southland Conference Tournament record for single-game 3-point percentage (87.5) and tied the record with seven 3-pointers, graduated with a psychology degree.

A pair of former Northwestern State student-athletes made good on their long-awaited moments.

Brison White, a guard on the Demons’ most recent NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament team in 2013, earned his degree in social work while Clayton Turner, a 2004 Oakland A’s draft pick, completed his general studies degree. Turner remains in NSU’s single-season top 10 lists in wins (10, T-3^rd) and in strikeouts (103, T-5^th).

The four graduates who posted immaculate 4.0 GPAs were soccer captain Emme Fernandez (master’s in homeland security), former soccer graduate assistant Josh Moore (master’s in adult learning and development), former NSU Athletics Director of Development Madison Pleasant (master’s in adult learning and development) and former football player Jabari Reddock (master’s in adult learning and development).

Trahan was a summa cum laude graduate while soccer’s Mia Dupuis and Scooter Kozeny and tennis’ Gig Kanaphuet graduated magna cum laude. Graduating cum laude were Dubois, baseball’s James Starnes and volleyball’s Ragan Ward.

Total Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 Athletic Department Grads: 46

Summer 2023 Athletic Graduation List (Participating in Fall 2023 commencement) (12)

Baseball (2)

1. Clayton Turner (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
   2. Miguel Vega (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll

Men’s Basketball (1)

1. Brison White (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Social Work; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Social Work

Women’s Basketball (3)

1. Joelle Johnson (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
   2. Jordan Todd: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology
   3. Jiselle Woodson: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Honors: Honor Roll

Football (2)

1. Guy Ballard: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Honor Roll
   2. Joshua Carver (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology

Softball (1)

3. Keely Dubois (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Cum Laude

Men’s Track (1)

1. Payten Vidourek (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll

Administration (2)

1. Madison Pleasant (Former Director of Development): Master of Arts; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Adult Learning & Development; Concentration: Adult & Workforce Development; Thesis: What Challenges Do Adult Online Learners Face at a North Central Louisiana University?; 4.0 GPA
2. Landon Stephens (Student Manager/Women’s Basketball): Bachelor of Science; College: Business & Technology; Major: Business Administration

Fall 2023 Athletic Graduation List (34)

Baseball (1)

1. James Starnes: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Cum Laude

Women’s Basketball (1)

1. Karmelah Dean: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology

Football (12)

1. Deondre (Scooter) Adam: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology (Previously earned Bachelor of General Studies on 12/15/2022)
2. Spencer Cody (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Honors: Honor Roll
3. Jordan Cooper: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration
4. Deus Desire (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Honor Roll
5. Mark Green (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Criminal Justice; Honors: Honor Roll
6. Stanley King: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology
7. Jared Pedraza: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
   8. Jabari Reddock (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Arts; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Adult Learning & Development; Concentration: Adult & Workforce Development; 4.0 GPA
8. Anderson (Scotty) Roblow: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration
9. Kwame Sarkodie: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Honors: Honor Roll
10. Aubrey Scott (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
11. Brayden Staggs: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science

Soccer (4)

1. Mia Dupuis: Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Biology; Concentration: Biomedical; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
2. Emme Fernandez: Master of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Homeland Security; 4.0 GPA
3. Micah Goss (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Honor Roll
4. McKenzie Kozeny: Bachelor of Science; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Magna Cum Laude

Tennis (1)

1. Thitirat Kanaphuet: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Magna Cum Laude

Men’s Track (4)

1. Andrew Gilreath: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Marketing
2. Diamante Gumbs: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll
3. Djimon Gumbs: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll
4. Austin Simoneaux (Former Student-Athlete): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

Women’s Track (2)

1. Karlyn Trahan (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Summa Cum Laude
2. Olivia Valliere: Bachelor of Science; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Cum Laude

Volleyball (2)

1. La’Treva Kennedy: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Computer and Natural Science; Minor: Biology
   2. Ragan Ward (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Marketing; Honors: Cum Laude

Administration (7)

1. Maxwell “Max” Collins (Graduate Assistant/Facility and Event Management): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration
2. Rachel Ehrman (Former Graduate Assistant/Sports Medicine): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Health Promotion
3. Lauren Krupica (Director of Marketing and Digital Media): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration
4. Cara McFarland (Graduate Assistant/Volleyball): Master of Arts; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Adult Learning & Development; Concentration: Adult & Workforce Development; Thesis: Participant in College Athlete’s Effect on Body Dysmorphia Disorder
5. Joshua Moore (Former Graduate Assistant/Soccer): Master of Arts; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Adult Learning & Development; Concentration: Adult & Workforce Development; Thesis: Benefits from Vital Nutritional Knowledge; 4.0 GPA
6. Kendall Murray (Graduate Assistant/Ticketing): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration
7. Levi Woods (Former Graduate Assistant/Men’s Basketball): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

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