Redefining Student Success
November 12, 2026 │Indiana Memorial Union │Bloomington, Indiana
Student success does not follow a single path. Across Indiana University, students are pursuing their education while building careers, supporting families, serving their communities, navigating challenges, and working toward goals uniquely their own.
The 2026 IU Online Student Showcase celebrates students whose stories reflect the many ways persistence, growth, leadership, service, and discovery can shape an educational journey.
This year’s honorees represent different backgrounds, aspirations, programs, and campuses. What connects them is not one definition of success, but the determination to keep moving forward and the people and experiences that have helped them along the way.
Today, we invite you to meet this year’s honorees, explore their stories, and celebrate their accomplishments.
Meet Our Student Master of Ceremonies
Today’s Program
4:00 p.m. | Welcome & Opening Remarks
Chris Foley, Ed.D.
Associate Vice President & Director, IU Online
Whitnie Powell
Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Management & Student Services, IU Online
Student Welcome & Reflection
Mary Beth Jackson
Student Master of Ceremonies
Featured Undergraduate Student Story
Jason Berrisford
Featured Undergraduate Speaker
Undergraduate Honoree Recognition
Jason Berrisford
Deanie Burton
Honour B. Conwell
Erin M. Lacefield
Featured Graduate Student Story
Ceyanne E. Thomas
Featured Graduate Speaker
Graduate Honoree Recognition
Lexi Dockins
Daniel Endres
Brandon Glover
Brandy Montina Kelley
Ceyanne E. Thomas
Closing Remarks & 2026 Honoree Recognition
Mary Beth Jackson
Student Master of Ceremonies
5:00 p.m. | Celebration Dinner
Meet Our Student Master of Ceremonies
Mary Beth Jackson
Student Master of Ceremonies
IU Southeast | Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Mary Beth Jackson brings an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong commitment to community to her Business Administration studies at IU Southeast. A homeschooling mother, she is already applying her education through ventures that include equine-assisted learning and an outdoor clothing concept for women and girls. Her professors see that same spirit in the classroom, where she connects coursework to real-world experience and offers thoughtful feedback that strengthens classmates' ideas.
Mary Beth was a 2025 Student Showcase honoree and featured speaker, reflecting on pursuing new possibilities while balancing education, family, work, and ambitious goals. In 2026, she returns to the Showcase as its inaugural student master of ceremonies.
Meet the 2026 Student Honorees
Nine students from across Indiana University are being recognized as 2026 IU Online Student Showcase honorees.
Meet this year’s honorees and explore their stories.
Undergraduate Honorees
Jason Berrisford
IU East | Bachelor of Science in Political Science
Featured Undergraduate Speaker
Jason Berrisford began studying political science with a practical goal: to make well-informed political decisions and help others do the same. What started as a few online courses grew into a bachelor’s degree in political science with a history minor through IU East, pursued while Jason works full time in transportation and balances family and volunteer commitments. In May 2026, that education took him from studying politics on the road to experiencing it firsthand in Washington, D.C. There, Jason joined fellow regional-campus students in visiting Capitol Hill, meeting Indiana’s elected representatives, and continuing political conversations long after the day’s activities ended. A junior with a 4.0 GPA, Jason has turned an interest in politics into an education that continues to expand where, how, and with whom he can engage.
Deanie Burton
IU East | Bachelor of General Studies
Deanie Burton first dreamed of earning her bachelor’s degree in 1990. Life changed that timeline more than once, but the dream never disappeared. After spending eight years homeschooling her children, Deanie became their classmate in 2019 when she and her two sons enrolled at IU Columbus together. Her sons graduated in 2022 and 2023, and now it is Deanie’s turn. As she prepares to graduate from IU East, Deanie has embraced the freedom of the Bachelor of General Studies to keep learning across disciplines, while also sharing what she has learned through service as an IU Student Mentor. Thirty-six years after her journey began, she is on track to graduate in December with Highest Distinction. For Deanie, the path may have changed many times, but one philosophy has remained constant: “The word of the day, every day, is perseverance.”
Honour B. Conwell
IU East | Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Honour B. Conwell learned early that finding the right way to learn can change what feels possible. While being evaluated for dyslexia, she encountered psychologists whose kindness made an intimidating experience easier, sparking an interest she later explored through dual-credit psychology at IU East. Today, Honour is completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology online through IU East and hopes to work in school-based mental health services. Online learning has given her tools that support how she learns and the flexibility to continue through major life milestones, including becoming a mother during her senior year. Now, as she raises her six-month-old daughter, Honour is already bringing what she has learned about psychology into parenting while preparing for a future where she can offer others the same kind of understanding and support that first drew her to the field.
Erin M. Lacefield
IU Bloomington | Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Erin M. Lacefield has spent 16 years caring for newborns, and today her impact extends beyond the bedside. After beginning in a newborn nursery and moving into Level III neonatal intensive care, Erin became a mentor, preceptor, and educator for other healthcare professionals. Now, as a Neonatal Regional Affiliate Nurse Educator, she helps hospitals across her rural region strengthen neonatal education and support. While working full-time and raising three children, Erin returned to school to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing online through Indiana University Bloomington. She hopes to build on that experience by exploring simulation-based training that better prepares rural healthcare teams for high-risk neonatal emergencies. For Erin, completing the BSN is an opportunity to pair 16 years of clinical experience with greater leadership, education, and advocacy for newborn care across rural Indiana.
Graduate Honorees
Lexi Dockins
IU Indianapolis | Master of Social Work
Lexi Dockins returned to college in her late twenties, and what began as a decision to finish her education gradually became a new direction for her life. Her own experiences with trauma, recovery, and compassionate mental health care helped lead her first to psychology and now to Indiana University’s Master of Social Work program, which she is completing online through IU Indianapolis. Today, Lexi balances graduate school with full-time work as a Pre-K teacher and raising her sons. Coursework fits into nap times, evenings, weekends, and even family vacations. As she works toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in trauma and mental health, Lexi hopes to help others understand something her own journey taught her: what happened to you can be part of your story without defining who you are.
Daniel Endres
IU South Bend | Master of Science in Nursing
Daniel Endres returned to Indiana University to pursue his Master of Science in Nursing with two goals: creating greater opportunities for his family and making a bigger impact on patient outcomes. Now preparing to become a Family Nurse Practitioner through IU South Bend, Daniel is already demonstrating the collaborative leadership he hopes to bring to patient care. As student liaison to his program’s Curriculum and Evaluation Committee, he brings the student perspective to faculty and offers practical ideas to strengthen the learning experience. His feedback has contributed to conversations across the larger MSN consortium, extending his impact beyond his own campus. A graduate of IU South Bend’s BSN program, Daniel continues to invest in the university community that invested in him while preparing to serve patients and families as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Brandon Glover
IU Indianapolis | Master of Health Administration
Brandon Glover is in his final semester of the Master of Health Administration program, which he is completing online through IU Indianapolis while building a career centered on senior living. His own progression, from concierge to Business Office Manager, reflects the kind of growth he hopes to help create for the organizations and people he will eventually lead. Brandon is already connecting his graduate education to that work, including through an MHA capstone focused on improving revenue-cycle efficiency. His nominator also points to Brandon’s commitment to resident-centered care and his ability to build relationships with people who bring different perspectives and needs. Looking ahead, Brandon hopes to become an Executive Director and eventually lead multiple senior living communities, using greater responsibility to strengthen both organizational performance and the experiences of residents and families.
Brandy Montina Kelley
IU Indianapolis | Master of Social Work
Brandy Montina Kelley believes children deserve to be heard, and that conviction is shaping both the work she does today and the career she is building. While pursuing her Master of Social Work online through IU Indianapolis, Brandy works with children with developmental, cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges and helps connect their families with needed resources. She is also raising four children and has continued her education through profound personal loss, including the death of her husband, Billy Kelley. After earning her bachelor’s degree with a 3.95 GPA and Chancellor’s List recognition, Brandy continued into graduate study with a clear purpose. Her goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in child trauma therapy, helping children feel heard, supported, and able to trust someone during moments when they need it most.
Ceyanne E. Thomas
IU Indianapolis | Master of Social Work
Featured Graduate Speaker
Ceyanne E. Thomas has built her work around supporting children and families, with a particular commitment to helping people recognize their strengths and find support through difficult circumstances. Now pursuing her Master of Social Work online through IU Indianapolis, Ceyanne is deepening that work through trauma-informed care, strengths-based practice, and advocacy. Her education continued through the profound loss of her son in January 2026, an experience that reshaped her understanding of grief, compassion, and what meaningful support can look like. Ceyanne has learned that helping someone does not always require the perfect answer; sometimes it begins with listening and reminding them they are not alone. She hopes to continue serving children and families while expanding her community advocacy for women and families whose support systems fall short, including those affected by pregnancy and infant loss.
Behind Every Journey
Every student journey is personal, but few are traveled alone.
The accomplishments celebrated through the IU Online Student Showcase are shaped not only by the determination of our honorees, but also by the people who encourage, challenge, and support them along the way.
To the families, friends, faculty, advisors, coaches, mentors, colleagues, and communities who have been part of these journeys: thank you for helping our students continue moving forward and pursue what comes next.
Congratulations to the 2026 Honorees
Your stories reflect the many ways students learn, grow, contribute, and create new possibilities through their Indiana University experiences. Thank you for sharing your journeys and allowing us to celebrate this moment with you.
We are proud to recognize all that you have accomplished and honored to celebrate this moment with you.