The annual Flagler College Power of the Purse® fundraiser was once again an unparalleled success, attracting over 340 enthusiastic supporters to the College’s historic Ponce de Leon Hall on May 9. The sold-out event kicked off with a cocktail/mocktail reception, a silent auction of designer purses and a jewelry raffle and culminated with a luncheon in the Grand Dining Room, including memorable comments from several noteworthy speakers.

Tours of the Hotel Ponce de Leon, a national historic landmark now home to Flagler College, kicks off its summer schedule today by running tours on the hour starting at 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. each day.

At this year’s annual Alumni Weekend, a luncheon on Friday, May 17 recognized the Charter Classes and a ceremony on Saturday, May 18 honored 50 alumni of distinction.

Cathy (Forson) Rhoten '72, Nancy Sirmons '72, and Steven Shafer '03 were inducted as the 16th class of the Flagler College Athletics Hall of Fame Thursday evening at a banquet sponsored by Carrabba's Italian Grill at the Virginia Room in the Ringhaver Student Center. The event is part of the College's annual Alumni Weekend.

After excelling at the Florida chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda, FBLA-PBL, state leadership conference, four students from Flagler College-Tallahassee will travel to San Antonio, Texas. They will compete against more than 1,800 of America’s best and brightest college students at the PBL National Leadership Conference on June 24–July 2.

Flagler College Hospitality and Tourism Management program Director and Assistant Professor Zach Cole, Ph.D., was recently honored with an award on behalf of Flagler at the annual State of the Tourism Industry Celebration. The event, which is hosted by the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau, VCB, was held at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort.

Approximately 400 Saints will return to their alma mater May 16 to 19 and reconnect with their Flagler family during the college’s annual Alumni Weekend.

Angela Brav, a hospitality industry veteran, and Bradley Brown, corporate treasurer for Ally Financial, Inc. are the newest trustees of the Flagler College Board of Trustees. Their tenures will begin on May 23.

The Flagler College baseball team placed three of its members on the All-Peach Belt Conference Teams, which were announced last Thursday evening at the pre-tournament banquet at the First Coast Technical College's Character Counts Conference Center. Aaron Anderson and Robert Girgis earned first-team honors while Sean Lawlor took home second-team accolades. Anderson was the recipient of the Elite 15 Award presented by the Education Advisory Board (EAB).

On May 4, three Flagler College students attended the district American Advertising Federation awards, the ADDYs, for their work on various advertising campaigns. The ADDYs is the largest awards competition in the industry and is highly regarded as the most difficult advertising award to earn, recognizing excellence and the highest creative standards in advertising.

The Crisp-Ellert Art Museum (CEAM) and Flagler College announced the third bi-annual Juried Alumni Exhibition, opening with a reception for the artists on Friday, May 17 in conjunction with Alumni Weekend. The opening reception will take place from 5-7 p.m., with a special performance by artist Kevin Mahoney, Class of 2014, at 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and the exhibition will continue through June 14.

Flagler College handed out diplomas to 422 seniors on Saturday at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, including 36 locals from St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach. In the spirit of the day known as ‘Star Wars’ day, President Joseph G. Joyner greeted the graduates by saying, “I know where my force comes from, and I hope you find yours too.”

On Monday, April 29, Flagler College recognized seven employees who have announced their retirement. The Presidential Address and Farewell Ceremony was immediately followed by a reception in the Solarium.

Two recipients for the Fall 2019 semester have been chosen for the newest Flagler scholarship, the LEAD Fund. Selected incoming male students will receive funding in the form of a scholarship as well as support through the LEAD Fund mentorship program. The mentorship component will pair each student with a member of the advisory board for monthly mentorship sessions.

Pauline Tainton, ’19, was accepted to present her paper, titled “The Tidepod Challenge – Crisis Turned Into Success,” at the 29th Annual SSCA Theodore Clevenger Undergraduate Honors Conference. This undergraduate conference focuses on the study and practice of communication. It took place April 3-7 in Montgomery, Ala.

AnneMarie Echols, ’19, has been selected as a JET scholar through the Japan Exchange and Teaching program. The JET program is a national opportunity for select individuals to live and work in Japan to teach English to children or work as interpreters and translators. Participants have the opportunity to serve as cultural ambassadors to Japan and promote mutual understanding between Japan and other countries through language and cultural exchange.

On Sunday, May 5, “Keeping History Above Water: St. Augustine” opens with a “public day” program. The international gathering of preservation, urban planning, economic development, cultural heritage, and climate science experts will address the impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise, on communities throughout the world.

Flagler College’s Psi Chi International Honor Society volunteered during their spring break with the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA). The students provided registration assistance, helped with set up, break down and event coordination, and served as runners. The SEPA annual meeting was held March 20-23 in Jacksonville, Fla.

In Fall 2019, Flagler College’s Department of Humanities will offer a minor in African-American Studies. It is a 21-credit interdisciplinary minor with courses on the peoples of African descent in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. It will encourage academic study of the diverse peoples and cultures of the African Diaspora. This minor’s study of the African-American experience will help generate critical thinking skills through broader application to the global black experience.

The Crisp-Ellert Art Museum and Flagler College are pleased to present the biannual exhibition of work by graduating B.F.A. and B.A. candidates in the Department of Visual Art. The exhibition will open with an artists’ reception on Thursday, May 2 from 5 until 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Additionally, the work will be exhibited during normal operating hours on Friday, May 3, as well as during First Friday Art Walk from 5 to 8 p.m. This is also free and open to the public.