College of the Ozarks will host multiple ceremonies and activities including a Baccalaureate Service, the Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony, and a Bobcat Gold Commissioning Ceremony.

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks will host multiple upcoming ceremonies in honor of 353 graduating seniors: 83 Bachelor of Arts, 248 Bachelor of Science, and 22 Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The top five majors of the graduating class are nursing, psychology, criminal justice, elementary education, and business administration/conservation & wildlife management.

Additional ceremonies will be held for nursing and military science students. Due to space limitations and the personal nature of these events, all ceremonies are reserved for graduates and their invited guests.

A Baccalaureate Service will be held on Monday, April 27, at 7 p.m. in Williams Memorial Chapel. The Commencement Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. in The Howell W. Keeter Athletic Complex on the College campus. During the Commencement, a military ceremony will be held to honor the officer candidates who will be commissioned as second lieutenants into the Missouri Army National Guard.

The Baccalaureate Service

The Baccalaureate Service will take place at the Williams Memorial Chapel on Monday, April 27, during the regular chapel service time, from 7 to 8 p.m. This event is open to the public.

The purpose of the chapel service is to honor and celebrate the hard work of each graduate. Dr. Eric Bolger, vice president for academic affairs and provost of the College, will be speaking on the mandate given by God in Genesis 1:28.

The Commencement Ceremony

Dr. Brad Johnson, president of College of the Ozarks, expressed the importance of celebrating graduation and preparing students for a Christ-centered life: “We are proud of our graduates — their academic, work, and personal accomplishments are notable. But, their perseverance, compassion, and the observable deepening of their faith truly makes them distinguished.”

Carrie Sheffield, bestselling author, broadcaster, and musician, will speak at Commencement at 10 a.m. in The Howell W. Keeter Athletic Complex.

Carrie Sheffield is a writer, government official, and musician based in Arlington, Virginia, and author of the bestselling book “Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness.” She serves as board vice chair of the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and previously held leadership roles at America First Policy Institute.

Sheffield is known for her message of resilience, drawing from her personal journey of overcoming hardship and finding faith.

The Bobcat GOLD Commissioning Ceremony

Every year during Commencement, officer candidates are commissioned as part of the ceremony. This year, the following will be commissioned into the U.S. Army.

Officer Candidate John Vollmann, business administration major, will be commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Missouri Army National Guard. Upon commissioning, Vollmann will branch in the Engineer Corps with the 635th Forward Engineer Support Team in Mexico, Missouri. Vollmann will attend the Engineer Corps Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, following graduation.

Officer Candidate Blake Wheeler, history major, will be commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Missouri Army National Guard. Upon commissioning, Wheeler will branch as a Logistics officer with the 835th Quartermaster Company in Warrensburg, Missouri. Wheeler will attend the Logistics Branch Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, following graduation.