Polk State College will celebrate 128th commencement ceremonies May 4

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

Polk State College will host its 128th commencement with two ceremonies on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

Ceremonies will take place at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and graduates have been notified of their assigned ceremonies via their my.polk.edu emails. Graduates will receive additional email communication from the RP Funding Center about redeeming their six allotted tickets. Tickets are not needed for graduates or attendees 2 years old or younger.

Attendees should be prepared for enhanced safety and security measures including metal detectors and bag checks and should review the RP Funding Center’s list of prohibited items: www.rpfundingcenter.com/group-services/prohibited-items.

Individuals who cannot attend in person can watch live streams of the ceremonies at www.polk.edu/academics/graduation.

The Spring 2023 Graduating Class is comprised of 1,140 students. Of those:

  • 89% are Polk County residents, with graduates also residing in Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.
  • 201 will receive degrees from Polk State’s six baccalaureate degree programs.
  • 109 will receive the Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management
  • 15 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences
  • 36 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
  • 21 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
  • 17 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
  • 3 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
  • 766 will receive the Associate in Arts degree, which is fully transferrable to any institution within the State University System.
  • 125 will receive the Associate in Science or the Associate in Applied Science, which prepare students to transition directly into the workforce in fields including health sciences and engineering technology.
  • 48 will receive certificates, which give them a competitive edge in the workforce.
  • 90 will graduate Summa Cum Laude with grade-point averages (GPAs) of 3.9 or greater.
  • 90 will graduate Magna Cum Laude with GPAs between 3.75 and 3.89; and
  • 176 will graduate Cum Laude with GPAs between 3.5 and 3.74.
  • 48 will graduate with 4.0 GPAs.
  • Three will graduate with Honors Program Distinction.
  • The youngest graduates are 16 and the oldest graduate is 61.

The ceremonies will feature remarks from Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti, Spring 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Bo Boyte, and Polk State District Board of Trustees Immediate Past Chair Ashley Bell Barnett.

Boyte, Vice President of Commercial Banking for Bank of Central Florida, played for Polk State Baseball and graduated from the College in 1994. He went on to receive an Agribusiness Management degree from the University of Florida and worked for his family’s agriculture business. Boyte has several years of commercial banking experience, including for TD Bank Group and Wells Fargo. With Bank of Central Florida, Boyte was instrumental in opening the office in Downtown Winter Haven. Very involved within the community, Boyte serves on the Polk State College Foundation Board of Directors as the Development Chair. He also serves on the GiveWell Community Foundation Board of Directors and as the Winter Haven Rotary Foundation Treasurer and was a part of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class 39.

Bell Barnett has served the Polk State College District Board of Trustees since her appointment in 2018. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board and a community advocate who has worked in public education, workforce and economic development, legislative affairs, nonprofit leadership, and as director of AgAmerica Giving. She has also served the Polk State College Foundation Board in leadership roles including Development Chair, Treasurer, and Vice-Chair, with her service concluding in June 2020. Bell Barnett serves as Chair of the United Way of Central Florida Board of Directors, Governing Board Member of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Lakeland Regional Hospital Foundation, Give Visual LLC, Lakeland Leads Executive Committee, Polk County JDRF Liaison, Achievement Academy Advisory Board, Polk Arts Alliance, and Friends of Bonnet Springs. She has participated in Leadership Florida, Leadership Los Angeles, Leadership Polk, and Leadership Polk Vision inside Polk County Public Schools.

More information about graduation is available at www.polk.edu/academics/graduation. Graduates are also encouraged to monitor their my.polk.edu emails.