FORT PIERCE, Fla. — More than 700 students walked across the stage Thursday to receive their college diplomas at Indian River State College's Fall commencement ceremony.
Dr. Timothy Moore, Indian River State College president, said this semester's graduation is the largest in the college's history.
He's hoping many of the students will stick around to help continue grow the Treasure Coast economy.
"They're earning living wages, the living wage scale is moving up," said Moore. "Those dollars have a three to five times multiplier that goes back into our community and that is what is so significant about it. The cost of delivering of education is one metric of what the college does economically. But our product, our students, our graduates go out and earn money and translate that work in the communities where they live and that becomes an economic multiplier in it of itself."
According to a Florida College System study, 96% of Florida college students remain in Florida after graduating.
The majority of students graduating Tuesday will receive degrees in business.
Moore said the college's nursing and cosmetology programs are also growing exponentially.
"The goal of education is to not make an A on the test," said Moore. "Yes, that's the product that we seek or the outcome that we seek, but what does it really signify? Realistically what you're trying to do is take information from different sources and put it into this wonderful thing called a brain, combine that with your experience to create knowledge to solve problems."
