Four Peoria students were named to the Biola University dean's list in fall 2023.

About 1,600 students were on the list honoring those with a GPA of 3.6 or higher while enrolled in 12 or more credits and whose cumulative GPA is at least 3.2.

The following Peoria residents were named to the list: Kendal Disney, Riley Jones and Kylee Messmer majoring in Comm Sciences Disorders; and Luke Poarch majoring in Bible, Theology, and Ministry.

"Inclusion in Biola University's dean's list is reserved for students who demonstrate exceptional performance in their academic studies. This honor signifies hard work, engagement, and investment in scholarship," said Tamara Anderson, senior associate provost. "These attributes are the building blocks of continued success, not only in the classroom, but in the workplace and in the student's personal lives. We celebrate these students and their achievement, looking forward to their future accomplishments."

Biola University recently celebrated 116 years of impacting its surrounding communities by going back to its LA roots and serving the homeless community in downtown Los Angeles.

Biola is a nationally ranked Christian university in the heart of Southern California. In a recently released study in the book "Christian Higher Education: An Empirical Guide by Perry Glanzer," Biola scored the highest out of 570 Christian colleges and universities in North America for making Christian faith central to its identity, curriculum, community and policies.

Founded in 1908, Biola is committed to the mission of biblically centered education, scholarship and service - equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for Jesus Christ. With more than 5,000 students at its Southern California campus and around the world, Biola's eight schools offer more than 150 academic programs at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels.

For more information, visit biola.edu or call 562-777-4061.