LAKELAND, Fla., Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Southern College will celebrate Fall Commencement on Saturday, December 16, with one ceremony that will honor both undergraduate and graduate students. In all, 207 students are anticipated to earn their degrees, including undergraduates, master's, and doctoral students.

The combined ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Branscomb Auditorium. Visit Florida Southern College's website or YouTube channel to watch it live.

The graduation ceremony will begin with the national anthem and Florida Southern Alma Mater, to be performed by senior Kaitlynn Rogers, a Music Performance major, who will graduate in the spring.

The keynote address for the undergraduate ceremony will be FSC Trustee and Bishop of the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church Tom Berlin. A native of Winchester, Va., Bishop Berlin attended Virginia Tech and received a Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in public administration. He received his Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and was ordained in 1987. Before being elected bishop, he served as lead pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in suburban Washington, D.C. Bishop Berlin has authored numerous books, including Reckless Love, Courage, Restored, Defying Gravity, and The Generous Church, and coauthored (with Lovett Weems) Bearing Fruit, Overflow, and High Yield.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates will be Mr. Travis Sinsabaugh, from Deltona, Fl., who will earn his Bachelor of Music Education.

Dr. Tracey Tedder, Provost and Vice of President of Academic Affairs at Florida Southern College, is immensely proud of the students of the Class of 2023. "Amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic, these resilient individuals embarked on their academic journey with determination and perseverance. Their unwavering commitment to learning is a testament to their strength and adaptability. I am excited to witness their continued success as they enter the world ready to make a positive and consequential impact."

During the ceremony, Florida Southern will present the President's Scholar Medal for superb academic achievement, awarded in recognition of a student's academic record and demonstrating great promise for future success. This prestigious award is not named ahead of time, and will be announced during the ceremony.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, and boasts 30 NCAA Division II National Championships. Florida Southern is ranked #11 among the "Best Regional Universities in the South" by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024 "Best Colleges" guide. It is included in The Princeton Review's 2023-2024 Best 389 Colleges guide and the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2024. The 2023-2024 Colleges of Distinction guidebook praises Florida Southern's AACSB-accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise alongside the College's School of Education and its Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Poets&Quants, U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, and The Princeton Review further laud the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise and the Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences as foremost programs in the nation for business and nursing education. Home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, FSC is ranked by The Princeton Review as the #6 "Most Beautiful Campus" in the nation. Connect with Florida Southern College. 

SOURCE Florida Southern College