Francis Marion University celebrated its Fall 2025 undergraduate and graduate degree recipients in a ceremony held Saturday morning in the Smith University Center on campus. A total of 235 students received their degrees, including 168 undergraduates and 67 graduate students. South Carolina residents comprised 88 percent of the graduating class.
FMU President Fred Carter congratulated the graduates and reminded them of today’s significance.
“It is the story of the old South transforming into the new South where education is accessible, affordable, and abundant. The degree remains yours forever. It will change your life in ways you can’t even imagine until you get older and understand the privileges it provides and obligations it imposes.”
Carter also praised FMU’s faculty for “performing brilliantly in the classroom, in the research lab, and across the community,” urging graduates to use the knowledge they acquire to “do magical things.”
During the ceremony, Francis Marion awarded honorary Doctor of Humanities degrees to P.J. Browning, CEO of Evening Post Publishing and President and Publisher of The Post and Courier, and Murray Hartzler, former FMU Director of Athletics.
Browning has built a distinguished career in journalism, holding leadership positions across the country, including roles as president and publisher of The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and The Telegraph in Macon, GA. Since 2013, she has served as publisher and president of The Post and Courier, South Carolina’s oldest daily newspaper. Under her leadership, the newspaper received the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service, expanded its digital footprint, launched podcasts, and opened new bureaus across the state including The Post and Courier Pee Dee, which offers FMU students internship opportunities in reporting, advertising, and marketing.
Hartzler recently retired as Director of Athletics at Francis Marion University, capping a distinguished career that has shaped FMU athletics for more than three decades. He joined FMU in 1994 as head men’s soccer coach and became the winningest coach in program history. He was named Director of Athletics in 2001. During his tenure, FMU’s athletic programs achieved significant academic and competitive success. He also oversaw the construction of the Griffin Athletic Complex and improvements to the Smith University Center and Kassab Tennis Courts.
In her commencement address, Browning told graduates that the world will continue to change and encouraged them to adapt, bringing with them hard work, innovation, and a relentless will to succeed.
“You’re graduating into a world that doesn’t just reward knowledge – it demands adaptability. You’ve already proven you can learn, persist, and finish what you start. But your education didn’t end today. It started today.”
She closed with a message about how to define and pursue success.
“Your success won’t be measured by how well you follow a fixed plan, but by how skillfully you navigate the unexpected twists and turns. The ability to learn and re-learn will be your most valuable superpower. Be the one who asks the hard questions, who tries the bold ideas, who keeps showing up when others give up. Work hard. Stay curious. Innovate with purpose. And never, ever lose that relentless will to succeed.”
Eight students graduated Summa Cum Laude (“with greatest praise”) after completing degree requirements with a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher. They were Jacob Edwards (Latta, SC), Autumn Grace June (Florence, SC), Katherine Marie Kemp (Plano, TX), Malaysia Sharde March (Chesterfield, SC), Ansley Craig Martin (Mullins, SC), Megan Alyssa Mouzon (Kingstree), Hannah Abigail Parsons (Johnsonville, SC), and Brandon Scott Smith (Florence, SC).
Twelve students graduated Magna Cum Laude (“with high praise”) in recognition of a cumulative GPA between 3.75 and 3.89. They were Aaliyah Breonah Curry (York, SC), Ava Paige Flintrop (Florence, SC), Katie Elizabeth Floyd (Campbellsville, KY), Elizabeth Elaine Fortner (Elgin, SC), Katelynn Shanice Gamble (Kingstree, SC), Troy Edward Hall (Cheraw, SC), Todd Cameron Housand (Florence, SC), Dalton Chase Locklair (Turbeville, SC), Abigail Shannon Martin (Lugoff), Cooper Blake McKee (Phoenix, AZ), Maggie Elizabeth Odom (Florence, SC), and Kara Ann Walker (Fayetteville, NC).
Thirteen students graduated Cum Laude (“with praise”) after completing degree requirements with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.74. They were Baylee Alyssa Cannon (Florence, SC), Melissa Caroline Crowley (Florence, SC), Thomas Dooley (Sumter, SC), Angel Whitney Flowers (Johnsonville, SC), Asiana Johnae Gaskins-Nelson (Scranton, SC), Sara Grace Hickman (Turbeville, SC), Ashaneek Abbi-Gayle Matthie (Florence, SC), Cannon Reed Miles (Lake City, SC), Alexandria Layne Mitchell (Florence, SC), John Michael Mixon (Hartsville, SC), Axel Amber Shannon (Florence, SC), Tre’ Shaun Stanley (Georgetown, SC), and Wesley Samuel Townsend (Coward, SC).
Three students also graduated with University Honors. To graduate with University Honors, students must complete twenty-one credit hours in Honors courses and maintain an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher. This semester’s University Honors graduates are Jacob Edwards (Latta, SC), Maggie Elizabeth Odom (Florence, SC), and Axel Amber Shannon (Florence, SC).
