Four Florida Commencements May 13 and 14
May 13, 2011
New graduates of Saint Leo University will be celebrating their
educational accomplishments during four separate ceremonies in
Central and North Florida communities on May 13 and 14.
These particular commencement
exercises are set in locations where Saint Leo operates continuing
education centers in partnership with community colleges. This
arrangement allows undergraduates to begin their college education
at public community colleges, and then transfer to Saint Leo to
complete a four-year degree, all while staying in the same
geographic area. Certain graduate degree programs are also
available at selected centers, or online, so graduate degree
recipients also participate in regional commencement
exercises.
The ceremonies begin at 5 p.m. Friday, May 13, at Florida Gateway
College in Lake City (Columbia County). Mike Millikin,
superintendent of Columbia County Schools, was chosen to deliver
the commencement address. A member of the class of 2011, Alina
DeWein, who earned the Bachelor of Arts in elementary education,
was selected to give the class farewell.
On Saturday, May 14, graduates from the Madison County area and
their families will gather at 10 a.m. in the Van H. Priest
Auditorium of North Florida Community College, or NFCC. The
president of NFCC, John Grosskopf, is the guest speaker for the
ceremony. Graduates Kali Carter, who studied elementary education,
and Connie Smith, who studied human services administration, were
chosen to deliver the class farewell addresses. Both earned the
Bachelor of Arts degree.
At noon on Saturday in Ocala, Saint Leo’s local graduating class
will gather at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, where they will be
welcomed by Saint Leo University President Arthur F. Kirk, Jr.
Ocala Mayor Randy Ewers will deliver the commencement address.
Renee Lynn Messer, who has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
psychology, will speak on behalf of the graduating class. The Saint
Leo continuing education center in Ocala is at the College of
Central Florida.
At 5 p.m., Saturday, Saint Leo University’s Gainesville area
graduates will gather for commencement exercises at the Curtis M.
Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the
University of Florida. Saint Leo’s continuing education center in
Gainesville is nearby at Santa Fe College. The guest speaker for
the event is John Spence, an executive educator, speaker, and
consultant. Graduate Jennifer Lynn Morales, who studied psychology,
was selected to deliver the class farewell.
