PRESS RELEASE: DECEMBER 6, 2025

SJR State to honor graduates December 18

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook will be the commencement speaker.

St. Johns River State College will celebrate its fall commencement on December 18.

Candidates from the Orange Park, Palatka and St. Augustine campuses will be acknowledged for their prospective associate and baccalaureate degrees, as well as certificate programs.

SJR State President Joe Pickens has announced Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook as the commencement speaker. The Clay County native began serving as Sheriff in 2020. She previously served as the Chief of Police for the City of Atlantic Beach, Florida. Her extensive career also includes 26-years at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, where she retired as a 3-star director and third in command.

Sheriff Cook holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Florida and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Public Administration. She is also a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executives training and a member of the Florida Sheriff’s Association. She and her husband Don have 6 children, 4 of whom were adopted out of the local foster care system.

The ceremony begins at 10:00 am. Tickets are required for graduate guests. The event will be live-streamed through the College’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/SJRstate.

The Thrasher-Horne Center is owned and operated by SJR State and is located on the Orange Park campus at 283 College Drive.