FSC Bishop-in-Residence Robert Fannin

Samantha Taylor receives the President's Scholar Medal from President Anne Kerr

See more photos from the ceremony on Flickr

LAKELAND (May 1, 2010) -- Bishop Robert Fannin told graduates at Florida Southern's morning commencement exercises to embrace life's every opportunity.

"Whenever the call comes, whatever it may be, answer it," said the College's bishop-in-residence, a 1958 graduate of FSC, and a member of the Board of Trustees. "Do not spend the rest of your life saying, I wish I had ...'"

At the morning ceremony, degrees were conferred on 51 students from FSC's evening, Orlando and Ocala, and graduate programs in the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel.

Samantha Lyn Taylor, who earned a bachelor of science in elementary education, was awarded the President's Scholar Medal. Ms. Taylor graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average and earned "the respect of her professors and peers as well as accolades from her mentors at McKeel Elementary School," said FSC president Dr. Anne Kerr in presenting the award.

Bishop Fannin told the graduates that after he graduated from FSC, he was drafted into the Army. En route to Korea, he stopped in Tokyo and was thrilled to see Frank Lloyd Wrights famous Imperial Hotel, which remained standing after a devastating earthquake had left much of the city in ruins. The hotel survived because the foundation was built on mud, so that when the earth moved, so did the hotel. "It stood all those years because it was built on the right foundation," Bishop Fannin said.

He encouraged the graduates to build their own foundations on education, ethics, morals, the ability to cope with adversity, and most importantly, a good attitude. "You may inherit some things, but your attitude must be claimed by you," he said.