"Be joyful, be flexible, be generous, and be committed," Duncan L. Niederauer, the chief executive officer and a director for the New York Stock Exchange's parent company, told graduates at Florida Southern College's spring commencement.

Senior Speaker Taylor Alter

See more commencement photos on Flickr »

LAKELAND, Fla. (May 2, 2011) -- Duncan L. Niederauer, the chief executive officer and a director for the New York Stock Exchange's parent company, NYSE Euronext, delivered an inspirational address at Florida Southern College's spring commencement. During the ceremony held Saturday at The Lakeland Center, Niederauer imparted wisdom gained from his exceptionally successful career in the financial sector.

"Be joyful, be flexible, be generous, and be committed," Niederauer told the graduates.  "And always remember, you never know where your next break is going to come from."  He said that in life, the road less traveled is often the best, and that in business, companies with a long history of innovation and reinvention, are often the best to work with.  "Expect to earn your way, expect great things from your company, but expect more from yourself."

This year's commencement was significant for FSC as it was the first time the graduation ceremony was held off campus. Due to the College's overall growth and improvement in student retention, the Lakeland Center was chosen as the most appropriate venue to host the 2011 commencement ceremony. 

Florida Southern conferred degrees on 307 graduates at the ceremony. The graduating class included 287 undergraduate students from the college's traditional day program as well as the evening college. Twenty students received their master's degrees.

The College also bestowed an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Richard William "Bill" Becker, FSC '65, who is president and owner of Peace River Citrus Products, Inc. He also is a former five-term chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission.  Dr. Becker is known not only for his business and agricultural leadership, but also his tireless and selfless support of industry organizations and educational institutions.

Dr. Gwendolyn H. Walton, professor of computer science and coordinator of the computer science program, received the Miller Distinguished Faculty Award.  This award is granted to the FSC professor who has been nominated by his or her colleagues for excellence in teaching, distinctions in the profession, and contributions to the academic life of the College.  Dr. Walton received her undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee and was appointed to the Charles and Mildred Jenkins Chair in Mathematics and Computer Science in 2008.

There were two recipients of the prestigious President's Scholar Medal for outstanding academics and distinguished citizenship, Kelsi Russell and Samantha Tyburski.

Kelsi Russell, who graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in religion and Spanish, was commended as an engaged student leader who served with distinction as a resident advisor, coordinator of the Southern Ambassadors, and as co-president of the Spanish Club. Additionally, she was actively involved in campus ministries, serving as president of the social justice division of the student-run organization TZeDeK and as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Upper Room, the Beyond Ministries leadership team, and the Wesley Fellowship. Russell's stellar academic achievements and campus leadership garnered her the appointment as an ICUF Presidential Fellow as well as membership in numerous national honorary societies including Omicron Delta Kappa, Theta Chi Beta, Phi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Delta Pi.

Samantha Tyburski graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in sociology and Spanish. Her exemplary scholarship earned her inclusion as a President's Scholar each semester of her undergraduate career as well as appointments to national honoraries, including Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Sigma Delta Pi, and Theta Chi Beta. Additionally, Tyburski was recognized by the FSC Circle of ODK as the Outstanding Sophomore and Outstanding Junior student, and was additionally honored by the prestigious appointment of ICUF Presidential Scholar. She has distinguished herself as a Resident Advisor and Southern Ambassador, and has held leadership positions in campus organizations that include president of the Wesley Fellowship and vice president of the Spanish Club.

The senior speaker was Taylor Elaine Alter, who received a B.S. in communication. Alter is a member of numerous honorary societies including Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi and has served as president of the Order of Omega and Kappa Delta Sorority. Also, she was recently selected by the campus community as the recipient of the Agnes Johnson Rowe Award, recognizing her academic success and important engagement in student life.