Miami Gardens, Fla. – The Honorable Sharon R. Wilson, president of the Senate of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is set to return to Florida Memorial University (FMU), her alma mater, to deliver the keynote address at the fall commencement ceremony. The event is scheduled for Saturday, December 15 at 8:30 a.m. in the A. Chester Robinson Athletic Center. FMU will also present Wilson with an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters. The entire community is invited.

“At FMU, we offer our students a quality instruction and a competitive learning community,” said Dr. Mary A. O’Banner, the institution’s acting president. “Senator Wilson, a faithful FMU alumna, is proof that the students can develop their promise and create bright futures here at South Florida’s only historically black university. She can share her wealth of experience and commitment to excellence with our graduates. ”

Wilson, a 1971 FMU graduate, enjoyed a successful tenure as an educator and head of the English Departments at Prince William Baptist High School and St. John’s High School, both in the Bahamas. The Bahamas-native studied law in the Bahamas under the articles of the Firm of Seligman Maynard and Company and became a practicing member of the Bahamas Bar in 1983. During her illustrious legal career, she served as a magistrate; chair of the Rent Control Board of the Bahamas; and established the Sharon Wilson and Company law firm in 2000. The longtime-attorney was elected to the FMU Board of Trustees in 1987. Her family also funded an endowment for Bahamian students at the institution. In 2002, Wilson was appointed president of the Senate of the Bahamas, and served until 2007. She was reappointed to a non-consecutive second term as the chamber’s chief in 2012.

The graduation ceremony is preceded by the Baccalaureate Service, which serves as a spiritual send-off for the graduating class. The Reverend Dr. George E. McRae, pastor of Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, will deliver the baccalaureate address.

Schedule of Events for FMU’s Fall Commencement Exercises:

Thursday, December 13, 2012
7 p.m., Senior Banquet, Smith Conference Center (Tickets Required)

Friday, December 14, 2012
6 p.m., Baccalaureate Service, Susie C. Holley Religious Center
Speaker: The Rev. Dr. George E. McRae, Pastor, Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church, Miami, Florida

Saturday, December 15
8:30 a.m., Commencement Ceremony, A. Chester Robinson Athletic Center
Speaker: The Honorable Sharon R. Wilson, Esq., President, Senate of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas

For media inquiries, contact the Office of Public Affairs at 305-626-3624.