This meaningful tradition, which began in 2016, serves as a unifying thread that connects the start and completion of a student's four years as a Saint. The sturdy spikes, salvaged from the original tracks of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway, symbolize enduring resilience and the beginning of a transformative journey.
“Henry Morrison Flagler, our college’s namesake, was a visionary, an industrialist, and most notably, a railroad baron,” Whitney Shafer (‘07), director of Alumni Engagement, said to the Class of 2028 at their Fall 2024 Convocation. “He built a lasting legacy in the Florida East Coast Railway, which was instrumental in the development of Florida. This railroad track was laid piece by piece and held together with spikes just like the ones you were given on the way in.”
Henry Flagler at FEC Railway station (1908)
During Flagler’s annual Convocation ceremony, distinguished staff alumni speakers introduce these authentic railroad spikes as symbols of the unyielding and pioneering spirit that Flagler College hopes to instill in its students. More than that, the students are presented with a challenge: to use their time at Flagler to discover who they are, where they want the track of their life to lead, and how they can make history just as Henry Flagler did.
“I invite you to pick that spike up and hold it in your hand for a moment,” Shafer instructed. “Though it’s not very big, I want you to notice its weight and strength. This spike serves as both a symbol and a challenge. Today, you lay the first piece of track of your legacy at Flagler College.”
As a bookend to this symbolic tradition, students are gifted their very own railroad spike at their Commencement ceremony four years later. This commemorative spike, its silver newness still shiny, is a token of goodwill for graduates. It’s a keepsake symbolizing the completion of their Flagler education, the transformation that occurred, and the beginning of their broader life journey.
Ahead of her 2023 graduation, alumna Colleen Murphy penned a poignant poem that encapsulates the bittersweet emotions she and her fellow Saints felt as they concluded their four years at Flagler. Her choice of the railroad spike as a closing image powerfully symbolizes the enduring reminder to continue forging history.
Closing excerpt from “Sainthood” by Colleen Murphy (‘23)
So you will now walk,
Saint-like amongst the crowds you will encounter,
knowing you were nurtured under mahogany and marble,
that you learned under the guise of history watching you...
Railroad spike in hand,
forging way through coquina and palm.
knowing that if you ever want to come home,
you follow the Florida Railway along the East Coast
until you reach St. Augustine.
And a friendly passerby will smile and
will naively point you in the direction of the castle,
as if it isn’t already yours.
Murphy’s eloquent words remind us that the spike is more than just a piece of metal; it is a symbol of the journey, growth, and legacy that each graduate carries forward.
Above all, this small silver spike serves as a powerful reminder of the roots and community that nurtured Flagler alumni. It represents not only the completion of their college education but also the enduring connection to the College and each other.
Vice President of the Alumni Board of Directors, Jacob Harding ('07), will present the ceremonial spikes to this year's Class of 2025, reinforcing the reality that their journey as Saints does not end here.
Harding (right) at Spring 2024 Commencement
As the graduates hold their silver spikes, they are reminded of the enduring legacy of Henry Flagler and the tracks they are now poised to lay in their own lives. This railroad spike transcends tradition; it is a powerful symbol of resilience, vision, and the journey ahead. It serves as a beacon, guiding them through their broader life journey with the same determination and pioneering spirit that Flagler exemplified.
