For Immediate Release
May 02, 2012
Contact Information

Zachary Rinkins
Office of Public Affairs
(305) 626-3624
Zachary.Rinkins@FMUniv.edu

(BPRW) Florida Memorial University Set to Graduate Largest Class in School History During Spring Commencement

- Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan Will Serve As Keynote Speaker -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – Miami Gardens, Fla. – Florida Memorial University will graduate its largest class in school history during spring commencement. The ceremony is set for Saturday, May 5, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. in the A. Chester Robinson Athletic Center on campus. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan will serve as keynote speaker and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

“Commissioner Jordan is a longtime public servant and champion for Florida Memorial University,” said Dr. Henry Lewis, III, university president. “FMU was founded on the principles of character, leadership and service. Commissioner Jordan’s life and career demonstrate a commitment to those principles. We are pleased to have her salute our graduates.”

Jordan is the twice-elected Miami-Dade County commissioner for District 1, which includes Florida Memorial University. A testament of her dedication to the school, she successfully secured more than $5 million in county funds for the university. Those funds financed scholarships and student study aboard programs, as well as provided seed money for the institution’s upcoming state-of-the-art Athletic and Wellness Teaching Gymnasium. Prior to her election, she built a distinguished career as a county administrator serving many of the area’s most vulnerable residents. She will encourage the graduates to do the same.

“Florida Memorial University holds a special place in my heart, as it is the only HBCU in the South Florida area,” Jordan said. “I have worked with many graduates of FMU as a Miami-Dade County administrator and as a commissioner. In fact, FMU is the primary source of students recruited for my annual internship program. It is an honor to be chosen as the commencement speaker for this great institution.”

The graduation ceremony is preceded by the Baccalaureate Service which serves as a spiritual sendoff for the graduating class. Reverend Zachary Royal, pastor of St. Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church in Coral Gables, will serve as the speaker.

Commencement continues FMU’s tradition of transforming learners into leaders.

Schedule of Events for spring commencement:

Thursday, May 3, 2012

7:00 p.m., Senior Banquet, Smith Conference Center (Tickets Required)

Friday, May 4, 2012

6:00 p.m., Baccalaureate Service, Reverend Zachary Royal, Pastor, Saint Mary Baptist Church, Keynote Speaker, Susie C. Holley Religious Center

Saturday, May 5, 2012

8:30 a.m., Commencement Ceremony, Barbara Jordan, Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Keynote Speaker, A. Chester Robinson Athletic Center (Tickets Required)