Commencement Spring 2021
Student Speaker Biographies
Student Body President
Teresa Castro
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Teresa Adriana Castro Carrillo will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She currently serves as the first Afro-Latina Student Body President at UNC. Throughout her time as a student she has been part of Student Senate, the University Program Council, the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center, the Multicultural Greek Council and Pi Lambda Chi Latina Sorority, Inc. All her roles on campus have inspired Castro to pursue higher education and give back to college students from marginalized identities. She has made so many meaningful relationships throughout her time at the university and is thankful for her mentors that have guided her to be the womxn she is today. She has learned what it means to be part of a community that empowers womxn that look like her. She will be forever grateful for her time at UNC!
College of Performing and Visual Arts and Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business
Graduate Student Speaker
Jenna McLean
Doctor of Arts, Music
Jenna McLean is a jazz vocalist and Lecturer in Music and Entertainment at the University of Memphis Lambuth in Jackson, TN. She is earning her Doctor of Arts degree in Jazz Studies with a dissertation entitled "A Study in Effective Teaching Methods in Jazz Voice Technique in Higher Education". She also completed her Master of Music Degree in Jazz Studies at UNC and has a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Wyoming. During her career she has studied with Julia Dollison, Kerry Marsh, Ben Markley, Steve Kovalcheck, Maureen Boddicker, Larry Hensel and others. McLean is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Jazz Education Network and is certified in Level I of Somatic Voicework™ with Jeanie LoVetri. She was the 2019 winner of the Downbeat Student Music Awards Graduate Vocal Soloist Category and a 2019 recent recipient of the Pathways to Jazz Grant.
Undergraduate Student Speaker
Benjamin David Gebhardt
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration: Finance
Ben Gebhardt is graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and minor in Political Science. After graduating from high school in Greeley, Gebhardt decided to stay local and go to the university where his father works. His time at UNC has given Gebhardt the opportunity to participate in study abroad, Investment Club, Club Lacrosse and Sigma Chi fraternity. Upon graduation Gebhardt is planning to start work in asset management, eventually pursuing a joint MBA and JD program. He finds the intersection of finance and political science fascinating and is hopeful for a future world where success is available for everyone.
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Graduate Student Speaker
Emily O'Neill
Master of Science, Dietetics with Internship
Emily O’Neill, a Colorado native, calls Colorado Springs, Colorado her hometown. She received her bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences with an option in Dietetics in 2016 from Oklahoma State University where she was a 3rd generation Cowboy. O’Neill married her high school sweetheart Johnny O’Neill shortly after earning her undergraduate degree and has two dogs that add so much light to her life. O’Neill believes wholeheartedly in the importance of public service and spent the last two and half years working for El Paso County’s Women, Infants & Children office as a WIC Educator, providing nutrition education and support to families in her community. Her passions continued with advancing her qualifications into becoming a Certified Lactation Counselor to further aid in supporting mothers in need. With her husband’s unending support, many countless hours of studying and continued encouragement from family, UNC faculty and friends she will be graduating with a master’s degree in Dietetics after completing the 3-year Master of Science in Dietetics with Internship program. O’Neill plans to continue to serve the community of Colorado by becoming a registered dietitian and hopes to foster and promote healthy lifestyles, while supporting intuitive and evidence-based approaches to nutrition and wellness.
Undergraduate Student Speaker
Daisy A. Solis
Bachelor of Science, Human Services
Daisy Solis is a first-generation, first-citizen LatinX woman that is not only an advocate for her family but for her community as well. Her roots are a constant reminder to fall in love with the opportunities and resources that her parents were unable to have in Mexico. As the only girl and the youngest in her family she has always sought guidance from her older brothers, thus helping her reach for the stars. Solis’s time at the University of Northern Colorado has been radiant and joyous, always having a smile on her face while demonstrating grace and love to her peers. Her involvement on campus includes being a Reisher Scholar, a Student Ambassador for the Office of Admissions, an Orientation Leader and a Senior Orientation Leader for the Office of New Student Orientation, a volunteer and ally for the César Chávez Cultural Center, a dancer and actress for Operation Cheesecake, and lastly, a proud sister of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Graduate Student Speaker
Oluwatobi Oluseyi Ogunmodede
Master of Arts, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Oluwatobi Oluseyi Ogunmodede is a Colorado native born in Aurora and raised in Castle Pines, Colorado. A proud daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Ogunmodede has been a student at the University of Northern Colorado since 2015, where she received her B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Africana Studies. Ogunmodede has made a profound presence on the university campus as a student rights advocate for marginalized identities at UNC. Since the start of her time as a student, she has also made an active presence at the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center as a student employee in positions such as the Special Projects Coordinator and the Strategic Initiatives Graduate Assistant. She has also been an active member of affiliated clubs that include African Students United, Black Student Union, and Black Women of Today. Since the start of her graduate program, Ogunmodede has assumed the role of Graduate Assistant running the Bear Pantry, a collaborative initiative on campus that aims to combat food insecurity among college students on campus.
Undergraduate Student Speaker
Brianna M. Burkett
Bachelor of Arts, Communication Studies
Brianna Burkett started working toward her associate degree at the age of 15 and completed her Associate of Arts degree at 18. After that, Burkett received her high school diploma and pursued her education at a higher level. She is a senior studying communication and business at the University of Northern Colorado. Burkett is a self-described taco addict, outdoor enthusiast, people lover, self-driven dreamer, coffee addict, and plant mom. She can easily be found in the mountains or hanging out at Zoë's Café with friends.
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Graduate Student Speaker
Ashley Arnold
Master of Arts, Special Education
Ashley is a Colorado native and received her Bachelor of Science in the field of Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Colorado in 2010. She began pursuing her Master of Arts in the Special Education Generalist program in 2018. Through her coursework, she has been teaching for three years as a special education teacher at the Sierra School of Weld County where she teaches 6th-12th grade students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other exceptionalities in a language model program. Before teaching, she started in her classroom as a teaching assistant for the first year.
Undergraduate Student Speaker
Hailie Macy
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Hailie Macy grew up in Fort Lupton, Colorado, where she attended K-12. She began college concurrently during her senior year of high school and graduated with an Associate of Arts in Psychology from Aims Community College in 2019. During her time at the University of Northern Colorado, Macy participated in the Upper Division honors program, completing an undergraduate thesis, and served as a mentor to fellow undergraduate students. Throughout her time at UNC Macy worked as a youth mentor, mentoring local foster youth. Following graduation, she aspires to pursue a master’s degree in social work.
