Institutional Advancement Department
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 17, 2015
Contact: Michelle Abaldo
Director of Institutional Advancement
O - (772) 462-7265 C - (772) 519-1123
mabaldo@irsc.edu
INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE CELEBRATES COMMENCEMENT MAY 2
Graduates top 3,000 third year in a row with largest number of Bachelor’s Degree graduates
Three ceremonies held at Havert Fenn Center in Fort Pierce
Due to increasingly large graduating classes, Indian River State College will hold three
Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 2 at the Havert Fenn Center in Fort
Pierce. The 2014/15 graduating class tops the 3,000 mark for the third year in a row,
including the largest number of Bachelor’s degree graduates ever.
The Commencement ceremony for Associate in Arts degree graduates will be held at 9
a.m. with the ceremony for Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degree
recipients at 1 p.m. The Ceremony for Bachelor’s degree graduates will be at 5 p.m
During the academic year, 3,048 students earned an Associate or Bachelor’s degree
from IRSC. The growth of the College’s Bachelor’s degree programs is reflected in an 8%
increase in graduates, with 555 Baccalaureate graduates.
This academic year of 2014/2015, 2,493 students earned Associate degrees, with 1,825
awarded an Associate in Arts (AA) degree and 668 students receiving an Associate in
Science (AS) or Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree. Associate in Arts graduates
are typically focused on building the academic foundation to progress toward a
Bachelor’s degree at IRSC or other college or university. Associate in Science degree
graduates have gained skills for in-demand technical careers after two years of college
and may opt to enter the workforce or continue toward a Bachelor’s degree at IRSC.
Named the IRSC Distinguished Alumni for 2012, Lt. Colonel Curtis Carlin of the United
States Marine Corps will be the Commencement speaker for the two Associate degree
ceremonies. Sandra Krischke, a member of the IRSC District Board of Trustees and 2014
IRSC Bachelor’s degree graduate, will speak at the Bachelor’s Degree ceremony in the
evening.
3209 Virginia Avenue  Fort Pierce, Florida 34981-5596  Ph: 1-866-792-4772  www.irsc.edu
Fort Pierce  Okeechobee  Port St. Lucie  Stuart  Vero Beach
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Lt. Colonel Carlin earned his Associate in Arts Degree from IRSC in 1991 and became a
two-time NJCAA diving All-American for the IRSC National Champion Swimming and
Diving Team. He continued his education at the University of Florida as an officer
candidate. Upon graduation, Lt. Col. Carlin was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in
the Marines and steadily moved up in rank. In 2005, he was selected to attend the
Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, Virginia where he earned a
Master’s Degree in Military Science. He attended the Joint Forces Staff College and
deployed to Iraq as Chief of Plans. He was subsequently appointed as Commanding
Officer of the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion in Bangor, Washington, where he
commands 1,000 Marines and Sailors guarding US strategic weapons and submarines.
Sandra Krischke was appointed to the IRSC Board of Trustees by Governor Rick Scott in
April 2014. A married mother of three, she earned an Associate in Arts Degree with
highest honors from IRSC in 2012. Continuing her education locally, the Fort Pierce
resident was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, specializing in Policy
and Leadership, as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in May 2014. She is
active in education policy at the local and state levels, including the Republican
Executive Committee of St. Lucie County. While attending graduate school full-time,
she is also working as a substitute teacher for the St. Lucie County School Board, she is
the chair of the Fairlawn Elementary School Advisory Council, College Preparatory
Academy Governing Board and Fort Pierce Central High School JROTC Parent Booster
Club.
For more information, visit the IRSC website at www.irsc.edu.
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