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ÍøÆØÃÅ celebrated a historic milestone on Saturday, May 3, as it conferred degrees to the largest graduating class in the college's history. The ceremony honored 580 graduates and featured NFL legend Rondé Barber as the commencement speaker. In recognition of his distinguished career and lasting contributions to society, Barber was awarded the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

Barber delivered an inspiring address on integrity, leadership, and defining one's legacy. A 16-year veteran of the NFL, Barber spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl XXXVII and being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. Additionally, Barber was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl five times, was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, and is the Buccaneers' all-time interceptions leader. Barber continues to make an impact in the community, most notably serving as the General Chairman of Copperhead Charities, the nonprofit Host Organization of the PGA's Valspar Championship. Through this role, Barber supports local charitable initiatives and community programs, including Habitat for Humanity and The First Tee of Tampa Bay.

In addition to Barber's address, the event featured remarks from senior speaker Molly Kennedy, a marine biology major, who spoke about the importance of resilience.

Biology major Haley Thomassy received the President's Scholar Medal in recognition of her achievements as a scholar, student-athlete and campus leader. The 2025 Honor Walk recipient, Erick Tran, earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and a Master of Science in accountancy and served as executive vice president of Beta Alpha Psi.

The Miller Faculty Award was presented to Alex Ortiz of the communication department for exceptional contributions to the academic community. Professor Katherine Upshaw was honored with the FSC Omicron Delta Kappa Circle Award.

The ceremony also marked the first spring commencement for President Jeremy P. Martin, who began his tenure as FSC's 18th president in August 2024.

In Dr. Martin's welcome he shared, "Members of this class join recent graduates accepted to law, medical, fine arts, education, nursing, business and other distinguished graduate programs throughout the nation and world. They have attained positions as healthcare professionals, educators, commissioned military officers, actors, musicians, clergy, and business men and women in Fortune 500 companies around the nation."

Of the 580 graduates, 124 graduated summa cum laude, 81 graduated magna cum laude, and 86 graduated cum laude.