Florence-Darlington Technical College hosts 2020 Commencement Ceremony
More than 130 graduates walked across the stage last Tuesday evening during Florence-Darlington Technical College’s (FDTC) annual Commencement Ceremony at the Florence Center.
The Commencement Ceremony was originally scheduled to be held in May, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FDTC rescheduled the event to October.
This year’s ceremony also included Summer 2020 graduates as well.
“We actually entertained having a virtual graduation, but students insisted on walking across the stage in the traditional fashion,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Marc David.
“To do this, students had to RSVP by the deadline because we had to plan for masking and social distancing throughout the ceremony.
“Though this will be one of the smallest graduating classes in recent history, it is also one of the most resilient, having overcome all the hardships caused by COVID-19.”
A total of 537 students graduated from the college throughout the 2019-2020 school year.
The Division of Math and Technical Education graduated 357 students, while the Division of Health Sciences graduated 92, and the Division of Arts and Science graduated 88.
“I would like to congratulate FDTC’s 2020 graduates for completing degree requirements during these trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic,” FDTC’s Interim President Edward Bethea said.
“This has been a difficult year, and all of us at FDTC feel that our graduates need to be recognized for their achievements.”
Throughout this year’s ceremony, FDTC and the Florence Center implemented safety precautions to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Each attendee had their temperature taken and was required to wear a mask.
The graduates reported to the Florence Center’s floor level, where they were socially distanced throughout the event.