Area residents were among approximately 1,500 individuals who met graduate and undergraduate degree requirements and were eligible to participate in the University of Central Missouri’s (UCM) Fall 2025 Commencement exercises on Friday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 13 in the Jerry M. Hughes Athletic Center.

Students who completed their degree requirements by the end of the fall semester were eligible to participate in ceremonies that marked more than 154 years of "Education for Service" at UCM.

To be eligible for graduation with honors, an undergraduate student must have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 and completed a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit at UCM with a GPA of 3.50. Those with a grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74 graduate Cum Laude; 3.75 to 3.84, Magna Cum Laude; and 3.85 and above Summa Cum Laude, based on whichever GPA is lower, their cumulative GPA or their GPA at UCM.

St. James residents receiving undergraduate degrees were Jacob Heimburger, BS; and Haley Knight-Freeman, BS, Cum Laude.

About the University of Central Missouri

With its main campus in Warrensburg, in addition to academic opportunities at the UCM Lee's Summit campus, the University of Central Missouri is a comprehensive state institution that serves more than 13,000 students, many of them from out-of-state and across the globe. Helping students to “redefine what’s possible,” UCM offers affordable tuition, prestigious and varied academic programs, and faculty members who are dedicated to their success. While benefiting from a support team of mentors, advisors, counselors, classmates, friends and professors, students not only leave UCM well prepared for the job market, but for life, having access to hundreds of opportunities beyond the classroom. Learn more at ucmo.edu.