Students graduate debt free from College of the Ozarks during Commencement Ceremony, tomorrow, May 1

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks will host its 118th Commencement Ceremony tomorrow morning, May 10, at 10 a.m. in The Howell W. Keeter Athletic Complex on the College campus. The ceremony will honor 328 graduating students: 79 Bachelor of Arts, 230 Bachelor of Science, and 19 Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This is a ticketed event for graduates and their families.

 

The top five majors of the graduating class are psychology, nursing, child studies, engineering, and business administration.  

 

For one of these accomplished graduates, Macy Landers, nursing has been her calling since a young age. Originally from Edmond, Oklahoma, she is one of 18 students graduating from the Armstrong McDonald School of Nursing (AMSON). As she reflects on her time at College of the Ozarks, one thing that comes to mind is her journey to the College. 

 

“My family had been visiting Branson for as long as I can remember,” Macy said. “I had visited the campus several times while on vacation, and eventually my older brother attended College of the Ozarks.” 

 

When it was Macy’s turn to choose a college, the decision was easy. 

 

“I ultimately decided to go to College of the Ozarks because of the strong Christian community and debt free education,” Macy said. “Graduating debt free allows me to start my adult life with a foundation of financial freedom. Without student loans, I can prioritize saving and giving back to my community. The work program has also taught me the value of hard work, responsibility, resilience, and discipline which are lessons that will help me thrive in my future career.”

 

Now, as a soon-to-be graduate of AMSON, Macy is grateful for her time in the program. 

 

“As I leave the program and begin my nursing career, my personal mission statement is, ‘to portray the love of Christ by serving others with compassion, humility, and grace. I will use every action as an act of worship and dedicate my life to serving the Lord so that I may further His kingdom,’” Macy said. “I am so grateful that AMSON not only taught me how to be a nurse, but also how to incorporate Christ in every aspect of my life. Through my time with AMSON, I have grown in my ability to stand up for my beliefs and live out my faith.”

 

After graduation, Macy will be getting married and moving back to Edmond, Oklahoma, where she will work as a registered nurse on an Intermediate Care Unit. 

 

“This #NationalNursesWeek, we want to recognize all of our nursing students, alumni, and faculty of the Armstrong McDonald School of Nursing who live out a calling to serve with compassion, excellence, and Christ-like character,” said Nursing Program Director Janice Williams. “Thank you for answering the call to care.”

 

For additional information, contact Public Relations Director Valorie Coleman at (417) 690-2212.

 

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and fiscal responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 2 Best Performers on Social Mobility-Regional Colleges in the Midwest and No. 4 Best Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025 and No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2024. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Best of the Best Award 2024 and the Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 from ConventionSouth magazine. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus.