Speaker of the House Weatherford to speak at Flagler College commencement ceremony

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Will Weatherford

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (12/03/2013)(readMedia)-- Flagler College will hold its fall commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 14, for graduating seniors. Approximately 176 students will receive diplomas in the Flagler College Gymnasium.

The commencement speaker will be Florida Speaker of the House Will Weatherford.

Weatherford was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 to represent Pasco County. He was unanimously elected Speaker of the House of Florida in 2012, making him the youngest Speaker in America.

Over his political career, Weatherford has been recognized as "Legislator of the Year" by Able Trust for Disabled and was named one of the "Top 12 State Legislators to Watch" by Governing Magazine. He is also involved in many charitable organizations such as Jobs for Americas Graduates and Florida's Take Stock in Children program, where he serves as a mentor.

Weatherford is a graduate of Jacksonville University, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in business.

King Street will be closed in both directions at the main gate of the college, from approximately 8:45 to 9:45 a.m., for the processional. Commencement begins at 9 a.m. and is not open to the public.

The Flagler College Public Administration program will graduate 74 seniors in a second ceremony at 4 p.m. in the Flagler College Auditorium.

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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 29 majors, 34 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost. A Flagler education is less than half the cost of similar private colleges, and competitive with many state universities. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for its historic beauty. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a grand resort built in 1888 by Henry M. Flagler, industrialist, railroad pioneer and co-founder of Standard Oil. The Ponce has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.