SPRINGFIELD, Mo., May 9, 2026 – The 152nd graduating class in Drury University history received its diplomas this weekend, donning caps and gowns to celebrate their academic success.
Two commencement ceremonies were conducted this weekend, including one on Friday evening for both Drury GO (Drury’s evening and online programs) and the College of Graduate Studies. The ceremony for traditional day school graduates was held on Saturday morning. Both ceremonies took place at the O’Reilly Family Event Center.
In total, Drury honored 443 graduates this weekend as they left campus to live lives of meaning and value, and pursue exceptional outcomes. This includes 304 day school graduates, 99 Drury GO graduates and 40 graduates who earned a Master’s degree.
On Thursday, 27 graduates of the Drury Law Enforcement Academy received their Missouri Police Officers Standards of Training (POST) Class A Licenses during a pinning ceremony at Clara Thompson Hall. A total of 13 Springfield-area law enforcement agencies participated in the ceremony, including Battlefield Police Department, Bolivar Police Department, Christian County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Howell County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Lebanon Police Department, Marshfield Police Department, Nixa Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Taney County Sheriff’s Office, Webster County Sheriff’s Office and Willow Springs Police Department.
Drury President Dr. Jeff Frderick addressed the graduating classes on both Friday and Saturday. “You did it,” he said. “More than a few obstacles popped up along the way, and you overcame them. A couple of doubts might have crept into your thinking, but you brushed them aside. On days that you might have given in or given up, you didn’t. A lot of the hard work you set about to complete may have seemed insurmountable, but you climbed that mountain. And today, we gather here to celebrate your achievements.”
On Friday, Drury welcomed alumna Winter Kinne ’05 as the commencement speaker. Kinne is Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ president and CEO. She joined FCO upon her graduation from Drury and has held a variety of roles at the nonprofit organization, including vice president of development. Founded in 1973, Community Foundation of the Ozarks helps individuals and organizations accomplish their goals by facilitating charitable giving, scholarships and through grantmaking.
Long-time college and professional basketball referee Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling ’03 served as the speaker for day school commencement on Saturday. A member of the Drury Athletics Hall of Fame, Holtkamp-Sterling was the third female referee in NBA history. In her nine seasons in the league, she officiated more than 350 games. Holtkamp-Sterling officiated six seasons in the NBA G League and four seasons in the WNBA. She worked the 2013 and 2014 NBA G League Finals and the 2014 WNBA Conference Finals and refereed in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East conferences.
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Media Contact: Cris Belvin, Director of University Communications & Media Relations | (417) 873-7392 | gbelvin@drury.edu