Featured Story

Veterans Day Ceremony set for Nov. 9

Friday, Oct 26, 2012
Meghan Yost

The Seminole State Veterans Day Ceremony is set for Friday, Nov. 9.

Seminole State College of Florida is holding a Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 9, to honor those who have served in the military, including the nearly 1,000 student veterans attending the College. The event, hosted by Phi Beta Lambda and the Veterans Affairs Office, will be from 11 a.m. to noon in the Fine Arts Concert Hall (building G) on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus.

City, county and state officials have been invited to attend the ceremony. Seminole State President Dr. E. Ann McGee will serve as guest of honor, and Phi Beta Lambda President and student veteran Lucdwin Luck will serve as the master of ceremonies.

“These veterans have sacrificed a great deal to protect our freedom and safety,” Luck says. “There are those who ask what their country can do for them, but now it is our time to honor those who have given so much to our country.”

The ceremony will feature musical selections by Seminole Sound and the Heritage Choir, as well as a keynote speech by Alvin Mitchell, a veteran and educational advisor in the College’s Academic Advising and Counseling Department. Mitchell served in the military for three years during the Vietnam War era. As a member of the U.S. Army Security Agency, he possessed top secret cryptanalysis clearance and processed military intelligence coming in from the frontlines at remote and secure outposts. During that time, he was stationed overseas in Okinawa as well as stateside.

In addition to veterans, the families of those who have served our country will also be honored at the ceremony.

“Veterans Day is an opportunity for us to show our appreciation not only just to veterans, but especially to the many family members who have made sacrifices during those periods when the veteran was serving abroad,” says Jose Toro of Seminole State’s Veterans Affairs Office. “Conducting a ceremony is just a tangible way to truly demonstrate our appreciation, as a community, to all veteran students, employees and family members,” Toro says.

Seminole State faculty and staff who wish to honor their beloved veterans during this year’s event are encouraged to email photos to toroj@seminolestate.edu. Please submit them no later than Oct. 31, and also include the name, military branch and dates of service with each photo.

Seminole State College’s Veterans Affairs Offices, located on all four campuses, are dedicated to serving as a one-stop source for veterans to secure, interpret and exercise their VA education benefits. For more information, visit the Veterans Affairs webpage.