FPC Principal Bobby Bossardet presents a diploma to a senior as Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore applauds. Photo by Don Foley/Flagler Schools
Seniors line up to take their seats for FPC's graduation on May 31 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach. Photo by Don Foley/Flagler Schools
An FPC graduate shakes hands with Flagler Schools officials after receiving her diploma. Photo by Don Foley/Flagler Schools
Superintendent LaShakia Moore congratulates an FPC graduate. Photo by Don Foley/Flagler Schools
The theme of Flagler Palm Coast High School’s 2026 commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 31, at the Ocean Center was the connection the graduates will aways have with the Bulldogs community.
We may be leaving as individuals but we will always be connected by the FPC grit and spirit.
— LILLIAN AMES, Senior Class vice president
“We may be leaving as individuals but we will always be connected by the FPC grit and spirit,” Senior Class Vice President Lillian Ames said.
“Principal Bossardet always says, ‘Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog,’ and after these past few years, that really starts to mean something,” commencement speaker Gianna Seifert said. “It’s not just about wearing green and white or showing up to school events, it’s about being a part of a community that grows with you, challenges you and somehow makes even the most chaotic days look like something we can get through together.”
Principal Bobby Bossardet put a spotlight on the seniors involved in the fine arts, including the ones who were never in the spotlight: “the students running the lights, mixing the sound, building the sets and holding the whole production together in the dark.”
FPC’s fine arts programs have earned superior ratings, gold medallions and national attention for 21 consecutive years, he said.
“That is a monumental tradition. But this class didn’t just inherit that standard, you carried it forward on your shoulders.”
He put a spotlight on leadership and service. The Bulldogs’ graduating class performed over 30,000 hours of community service.
“You didn’t just talk about community, you built it,” he said.
He placed a spotlight on academic excellence. Hundreds of the seniors are graduates of distinction. Over 50 completed the International Baccalaureate program, more than 20 earned college associate degrees before even receiving their high school diplomas, 26 broke the scale with GPAs over 5.0. And over 300 received diploma-plus cords for earning college credits and career certifications.
Athletes are expected to perform under the spotlight. This year, they raised the dynastic Bulldogs program to new heights. Several FPC athletes broke longstanding school and state records thought to be set in stone, Bossardet said. Seven seniors won state championships, 70 earned all-state and all-area honors, 20 signed national letters of intent to compete at the next level. And over 25 FPC sports teams maintained a combined GPA over 3.0, Bossardet said.
FPC’s principal also spoke about victories that happen in total silence, graduates who fought battles with anxiety or worked 40 hours a week just to keep the lights on.
“Nobody gives you a medal for surviving those nights,” he said. “But every morning you made a choice. You walked through our doors, you took your seat, you refused to let your circumstances become your excuses. You turned that struggle into your purpose. Right now, many of you are wearing cords, medals and stoles, but beneath all of that, every single one of you is wearing the same FPC green gown. That green is the ultimate equalizer. It means no matter what path you took to get here, and no matter how heavy that fight was, you made it. You survived, and you belong here. And the greatest thing about being part of the Bulldog family is that you never have to fight battles alone.”
Finally, Bossardet put a spotlight on the family, friends and FPC staff and faculty who supported the 2026 graduates throughout their high school journeys.
“You occupy these chairs tonight because they poured their belief, their sacrifice and their lives into you,” Bossardet said.
“Tomorrow the hallways at FPC will be behind you, but the brand goes with you,” he said.
