Polk State College will celebrate 132nd commencement with two ceremonies May 1

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

132nd commencement

Polk State College will celebrate its 132nd commencement on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland with two ceremonies.

The first ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. and include remarks by Polk State President Dr. Angela Garcia Falconetti and Steve Crisman, who will be honored as the May 2025 Distinguished Alumnus. The second ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. and feature remarks by Polk State District Board of Trustees Vice Chair Ann Barnhart, Vice President for Strategy and Growth for AdventHealth West Florida Division, as well as President Falconetti.

Graduates will receive email communication from the College regarding their ceremony assignments and from the RP Funding Center to redeem up to six tickets for their guests. 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 polk.edu/academics/graduation.

The Spring 2025 Graduating Class is comprised of 900 students who are eligible to participate in commencement. Of those:

  • 92% are Polk County residents, with graduates also residing in Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
  • 170 will receive degrees from Polk State’s six baccalaureate degree programs.
    • 78 will receive the Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management
    • 12 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences
    • 26 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
    • 32 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
    • 16 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
    • 6 will receive the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
  • 599 will receive the Associate in Arts degree, which is fully transferable to any institution within the State University System.
  • 130 will receive the Associate in Science, which prepares students to transition directly into the workforce in fields including health sciences and engineering technology.
  • 1 will receive a certificate, which gives them a competitive edge in the workforce.
  • 96 will graduate Summa Cum Laude with grade-point averages (GPAs) of 3.9 or greater.
  • 88 will graduate Magna Cum Laude with GPAs between 3.75 and 3.89.
  • 143 will graduate Cum Laude with GPAs between 3.5 and 3.74.
  • 50 will graduate with 4.0 GPAs.
  • The youngest graduate is 15 and the oldest is 67.

Steve Crisman

Crisman, originally from Lockport, New York, moved to Polk County at the age of 7. He graduated from Winter Haven Senior High School in 1987, earned an associates degree in business administration from Polk Community College in 1989, and then obtained a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of South Florida.

After graduating from the University of South Florida, Crisman began a career as a CPA, where he was eventually named a partner. Crisman most recently served as Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer for Six/Ten, LLC, a downtown redevelopment real estate company in Winter Haven, Florida.

On March 31, 2025, Crisman formally joined Citizens Bank & Trust’s leadership team as President, taking over the position from Greg Littleton, who also serves as a member of the Polk State College District Board of Trustees.

Ann Barnhart

Barnhart, Vice Chair of the Polk State College District Board of Trustees, is Vice President of Strategy and Growth for AdventHealth West Florida Division.

Barnhart is an experienced healthcare and business professional who has worked in the Central Florida community for more than three decades, including as a nursing instructor and consultant for what was then Polk Community College. Prior to her current role as Vice President of Strategy and Growth, she served as the Chief Business Development Officer for AdventHealth Polk Market. Prior to AdventHealth, she was Market CEO for Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center in Haines City, where she had direct administrative and operational responsibility for the hospital as well as operational oversight of Lake Wales Medical Center.

With more than 40 years of experience in healthcare, Barnhart began her career at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and joined Health Management Associates in Florida where she held the position of Senior Vice President/Division President. She holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern Connecticut State University.