Celebrating Excellence in Performing & Visual Arts

The SUU College of Performing & Visual Arts (CPVA) will graduate 247 students at the Degree Convocation on Friday, April 24, 2026, at noon in the America First Event Center. The Class of 2026 is made up of 120 undergraduates and 127 graduate candidates. Each year, the College recognizes students for their performance as artists and scholars throughout their careers at SUU. The College Valedictorian is the graduating student who has the highest academic achievements of the class, while the Outstanding Graduates are chosen by faculty in their respective disciplines for their artistry and contributions to each department.

College Valedictorian

Kira Wootton, from West Bountiful, Utah, will be graduating with majors in Theatre Arts and Communications and a minor in Psychology. While at SUU, Kira founded the Playwrighting Club, which hosted several staged readings. She enjoyed writing, composing, and directing The Pirate Lord. Performance highlights include playing Emily in Roe and acting on the Shakespearean stage in Julius Caesar. Other accomplishments include winning First Place in SUU’s speech contest, presenting in the research symposium, and running social media for a political candidate. She is incredibly grateful to everyone who supported her along the way, especially her girlfriend. Kira plans to continue her education and to become a professor.

Outstanding Graduate · Dance

Tyrese Sheriff, from South Jordan, Utah, is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Dance, with minors in Interpersonal Communications and Organizational Leadership Enrichment. Tyrese has proudly served as Artistic Director of the Southern Utah University Dance Organization (SUUDO) for the past year and represented SUU at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Conference in 2024, 2025, and 2026. Following graduation, he will relocate to South Jordan and continue his endeavors as a performer, choreographer, and instructor while pursuing administrative work for arts-based nonprofit organizations in the Salt Lake and Utah County areas.

Outstanding Graduate · Filmmaking, Art, & Design

Damian Cervantes, from St. George, Utah, is receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with minors in Music and Painting/Drawing/Printmaking. During Damian’s time at SUU, they have been recognized and awarded by IDA, UCDA, Applied Arts, World Brand Design Society, and Hiiibrand for their design work. Many of Damian’s works have been featured in Kolob Canyon Review, for which they’ve served as a designer as well as the Director of Merchandise. Damian has also had an original composition performed by the SUU Symphony Orchestra. Damian is excited to see where the wind blows them as they design professionally and continue their journey as a musician and visual artist.

Outstanding Graduate · Music

Annika Renee Faux-Gaugh, from Payson, Utah, is receiving a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a Secondary Choral emphasis. During her time at Southern Utah University, Annika has served as President of the OPUS Chamber Choir, Choir Librarian, and President of the student chapters of ACDA and UMEA. She performed in all three SUU choirs—Luminosa, Concert Choir, and OPUS—and held a lead role in the opera Dido and Aeneas. She recently completed her student teaching at Desert Hills High School and was accepted into the national round of the NATS singing competition. Following graduation, Annika plans to open a private voice studio in St. George, Utah.

Outstanding Graduate · Theatre

Malin Sender, an international student from Hamburg, Germany, is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. At SUU, she contributed to various mainstage productions, including costume designing Roe, Sweet Charity, and The Rocky Horror Show. She published two short story collections—one placing in the top 100 of the Young Storyteller Award in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland—and a poem in Kolob Canyon Review. She also danced with the SUU Ballroom Dance Company, worked as a Teaching Assistant, and tutored in the Writing Center. After graduation, Malin will join the MFA Costume Design cohort at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Outstanding Graduate · Arts Administration

An avid museum and library lover, Julia Dixon is a creative and collaborative museum professional who is receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration. She earned a BFA in English from Brigham Young University and has worked with organizations including the Bean Life Science Museum, The Wordsworth Trust, Harold B. Lee Library, and Granary Arts. During her time at SUU, she worked as the Content Manager in the Marketing Department of Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), where she chaired the Content Committee, a student-run team responsible for the museum’s social media content. After graduation, she hopes to continue building her career in the Arts.

Outstanding Graduate · Music Education

Benjamin Moroni Gibson, currently of Tullahoma, Tennessee, earned his Master of Music Education utilizing Southern Utah University’s hybrid program. He has been teaching for 12 years, and this is his second master’s degree. He only wishes his first degree were from SUU as well! This program allowed him to concurrently teach and further his education, all while being a husband and father of five. This degree was instantly beneficial as Benjamin was able to immediately implement ideas and practices in his classroom. He has also begun improving some of his choral compositions that were part of the degree and sharing them with his students.

Outstanding Graduate · Music Technology

Eric Wayne Burgess, from Upland, California, is receiving a Master of Music Technology with a dual focus in Game and Studio Sound. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, a certificate in Audio Engineering, and associate’s degrees in Recording Arts, Math, and Fine & Performing Arts. During his time at SUU, Eric produced many large-scale projects, including interactive learning apps for audio engineering and music education on his website www.composinggloves.com. He also completed a 100-mile ultramarathon! Eric plans to continue his endeavors to innovate in the fields of education and music creation.

 In addition to these outstanding students, two additional CPVA students will be honored during SUU’s graduation proceedings. During the University Commencement ceremony on Thursday, April 23, Emily Sage Wheeler will be honored as the University Valedictorian—the first in university history from the College of Performing and Visual Arts. Wheeler is earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. The ceremony will also feature student speaker Micah Cajilig, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting graduate.

The College of Performing and Visual Arts wishes warm congratulations to each of these graduates for their accomplishments. To learn more about SUU’s graduation ceremonies and traditions, please visit www.suu.edu/graduation. 

About the College of Performing and Visual Arts

The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 41 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, filmmaking, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 900 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year which are complemented by the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) and Shakespeare Studies at SUU, and is affiliated with the Tony award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival (USF). Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.