LAKELAND, Fla. (April 26, 2006) — Approximately 302 Florida Southern College students will receive diplomas during two spring graduation ceremonies April 29 on the FSC campus.

The morning commencement begins at 10:30 a.m. in Branscomb Auditorium, where students from the Lakeland evening, MBA, and Orlando programs will receive their degrees. The Rev. William S. Barnes, senior pastor at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando, will give the commencement speech. A former chaplain at FSC, Barnes currently serves on the college’s Board of Trustees. In 1995 FSC awarded Barnes an honorary doctorate of divinity degree. Barnes established Shepherd’s Hope, a faith-based volunteer organization that provides access to health care for uninsured workers, for which he received the Orlando area Jefferson Award for American Public Service. A graduate of Emory University, with degrees in business administration and theology, Bill has been a minister in the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church since 1974, having served in rural, urban and suburban churches.

Commencement for Lakeland day students begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Jenkins Field House on campus. Rick Goings, chairman and CEO of Tupperware Brands Corporation, will deliver the commencement address. Goings served as founder and president of Dynamics Inc., one of the nation’s first direct sellers of home security systems, held a number of senior management positions at Avon Products Inc., ultimately served as president of Avon USA, and served as corporate senior vice president for the Sara Lee Corporation. His many recognitions include the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for his outstanding leadership as their National Chairman, and the Marco Polo Award from the People’s Republic of China for his visionary leadership, significant role in China’s economic development and concern for Chinese society. Goings serves on the board of directors for Tupperware Corporation, Reynolds American Inc. (formerly RJR), Rollins College, and SunTrust Bank, N.A.; is a member of the Florida Council of 100, and is a member of the board of governors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America where he is also chairman elect.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.