Campus Events Celebrate Full Sail’s Student Veterans

Published Nov 22, 2024

Campus Events Celebrate Full Sail’s Student Veterans

November’s 5K and Thanksgiving dinner recognized veteran and military-connected students and gave them a place to connect.

Three 5K winners stand on a podium with medals around their necks under the Full Sail Studios archway. Other competitors stand near them and applaud.

In November, Full Sail’s Military Student Success Center hosted their Veterans Day Run, Ruck, Walk 5K and their Veteran Thanksgiving Dinner on campus. The events honor and celebrate Full Sail’s veteran and military-connected students, and they help them connect with other Full Sail students.

“We hold these events to honor our students and their families’ commitment to service. These events get the Full Sail community involved to not only socialize the [military] students to [the] Full Sail community and engage with them outside the classroom, but to also ease the [military students’] transition from the service, or to higher education in general,” said Aaron Hall, Full Sail’s Director of Military Student Success and an Air Force veteran.

The Run, Ruck, Walk 5K took place on November 11. Students, faculty, and staff competed on a campus course that started at the Full Sail Live Venue and wrapped around campus. Winners in the Run, Ruck, and Walk categories received medals, with an additional medal awarded in the Most Patriotic category.

On November 18, the Veteran Thanksgiving Dinner was hosted in the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress. MISSION BBQ served favorites like pulled chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and apple pie to 181 military-connected students and their families. Fifteen attendees won raffle prizes like gift cards and technology items. Two additional prizes were given to the winners of a physical training contest, where they competed to see who could do the most push-ups and air chairs.

Dinner attendees sit at tables in the Fortress. A screen saying “Thank You For Your Service” is displayed on the venue’s wall.

Military students and their families connected during the Veteran Thanksgiving Dinner.

Both events achieved their goals of giving military-connected students a sense of connection and belonging within the Full Sail community.

“[After the events,] the students said they can’t wait to do it again or can’t wait for the next Military Student Success event,” said Aaron. “All the students want to belong and be a part of something, especially student veterans who feel like they may not belong at college. A night or event where they can enjoy everything and everyone and feel normal or see they have much more in common with other students is a great success.”