On Friday, May 1, Samford University’s Brock School of Business and Orlean Beeson School of Education gathered in the Pete Hanna Center to recognize more than 320 graduates who earned bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees during their spring commencement ceremony.
Samford President Beck A. Taylor offered welcoming remarks. Amy Hoaglund and Monique Witherspoon, assistant and associate deans of the School of Education, provided the opening invocation and scripture reading, respectively.
During the ceremony, James William “Jimmy” Rane Sr., founder, chairman and former chief executive officer of Great Southern Wood Preserving, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Commerce degree.
Interim dean of Brock School of Business Marci Johns introduced the commencement speaker, Isaac Cooper ’12, founder and CEO of IMC Financial Consulting, LLC, and Samford’s 2023 Outstanding Young Alumnus.
During Cooper’s address, he reflected on the relationships that have shaped his journey and continue to influence his life and work, crediting mentors, coaches, professors and family members for opening doors throughout his career.
“Every door that has opened for me has come through a relationship,” Cooper said, encouraging graduates to invest deeply in the people around them. He noted that meaningful connections often come unexpectedly, adding, “Sometimes God drops the most important relationships in the most unexpected places.”
Cooper also shared personal challenges from his time at Samford, including a career-ending injury that shifted his path away from a future in professional football. He described those moments as pivotal, emphasizing that adversity can serve as redirection. “God will put you on your back sometimes just so you will look up,” he said.
Throughout his remarks, Cooper challenged graduates to lead with humility and intentionality. “Leadership is not the kind that comes with a title,” he said. “It’s a kind that comes from a decision you make in a room where no one is.”
Several outstanding graduates were recognized during the ceremony. Trinity Elizabeth Phillips, an early childhood special education, elementary and collaborative education (ESEC) major in the School of Education,received the Velma Wright Irons Award, presented to the graduating senior with the second-highest GPA across all of Samford’s undergraduate programs.
LE Acuff, an accounting major in Brock School of Business was honored with the John C. Pittman Spirit Award, which celebrates students who exemplify a serious commitment to academics, a devout Christian faith, personal wellness and active engagement in campus life.
The degrees were presented by Samford Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs David Cimbora and conferred by President Beck A. Taylor.
In the weeks and days leading up to commencement, Brock School of Business and the School of Education held awards ceremonies honoring their graduates.
View the 2026 Commencement Program
