Seminole State College honors armed forces at Veterans Day celebration

Seminole State College of Florida honored members of the armed forces Monday, Nov. 12 during the annual Veterans Day Ceremony.

The ceremony, hosted by Seminole State’s Veterans Affairs Office and the Office of Student Life, included the presentation of colors by the Winter Springs High School Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) and the singing of the National Anthem and the Armed Forces salute by SeminoleSound.

During the ceremony, the Foundation for Seminole State College awarded the endowed scholarship honoring fallen Marine Sgt. Mark Johnson IV to Peter Irigoyen who is pursuing a Bachelor in Business and Information Management with a concentration in Human Resources. An active member of the National Guard, Peter was unable to attend the ceremony as he is currently on mission in the panhandle assisting with hurricane relief efforts.

Johnson, a married father of two, was one of six Marines killed  in a helicopter crash while on a mission to help Nepal earthquake victims in May 2015. He grew up in Altamonte Springs, earned an Associate in Science (A.S.) in Automotive Service Management Technology in 2005 and an Associate in Arts (A.A.) in December 2008. He joined the military in early 2009.

To donate to the Sgt. Mark Johnson IV Endowed Memorial Scholarship, call the Foundation at 407.708.4571, or visit seminolestate.edu/foundation.

For the fifth year in a row, Seminole State has been named a Military Friendly School in recognition of the College’s strong commitment to the success of not only veterans who attend Seminole State but also their spouses and children who take classes on campus.

Over the past five years, Seminole State has awarded credentials to 16 active duty military students, 628 veterans, 82 students who serve in the reserve forces, and 215 spouses and children of veterans.