The University of Central Florida will honor veterans by hosting numerous events and workshops throughout November. The events will recognize veterans for their service and provide the public opportunities to attend workshops and access veteran resources.
Rated as “Military Friendly” by G.I. Jobs magazine, UCF is also ranked one of the best universities in the nation for veterans due to the support services available to veterans on their path to graduation.
Here are some select activities for the month. A complete list of events can be found here.
Thursday, Nov. 2 – Veterans Month at UCF will kick off with a veterans speaker series featuring Dr. Bryce Carpenter, educational outreach programs officer for the National Cemetery Administration. Carpenter will speak at a free lunch on his transition from soldier to civilian. UCF Career Services will also share information on resources available to students as they prepare to enter the workforce; noon-1:30 p.m., Career Services Experiential Learning Bldg. 121.
The Veterans Academic Resource Center will host VetConnect, which will provide veterans with useful information on resume building and job preparation; 3-5 p.m., Career Services Experiential Learning Bldg. 121.
Tuesday, Nov. 7 – In honor of UCF student veterans, the Veterans Academic Resource Center in partnership with the UCF chapter of the Student Veterans of America will display American flags on UCF’s Memory Mall. Each flag will represent a student veteran enrolled at UCF. The flags will be displayed Nov. 7-9. UCF History Department will host a research colloquium featuring a panel of graduate students currently exploring military archives. Tyler Campbell, Kayla Campana and Mike Burke will share insights in their respective fields of study. They will discuss both the process of obtaining documents and how it has influenced their research; 4-5 p.m., Graduate Student Center, Colbourn Hall 146.
Wednesday Nov. 8 – In partnership with the VA’s National Cemetery Administration, the UCF History Department and Center for Humanities and Digital Research will launch the Veterans Legacy Program at UCF. The program, which began last spring, features an interactive website and augmented reality app based on the biographies of veterans buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. For more information, contact 407-823-3817.
Thursday, Nov. 9 – The Veterans Commemoration Ceremony will be held at the UCF Veterans Commemorative Site on Memory Mall. Presented by UCF History, The Veterans Academic Resource Center and the UCF Community Veterans History Project, the ceremony will feature UCF Air Force ROTC, UCF Army ROTC, and UCF Music. The event is open to the public; 11 a.m., Veterans Commemorative Site on Memory Mall.
Saturday, Nov. 11 – Several UCF organizations and departments will participate in the Orlando Veterans Day Parade. Hosted by Mayor Buddy Dyer and his Veterans Advisory Council, the parade honors the courageous men and women of the armed forces. This year’s theme focuses on the mental and emotional well-being of veterans and their families; 11 a.m., Downtown Orlando. Barbara Gannon, associate professor of history will talk with community members in Brevard County about Florida in World War I as part of this year’s Veterans Speaker Series. Commemoration ceremonies begin at 9 a.m., Brevard Veterans Memorial Museum & Military Museum.
Monday, Nov. 13 – UCF History Department hosts a book talk featuring Gannon as she discusses her new book Americans Remember Their Civil War. This book describes the different ways in which Americans have publicly remembered the Civil War, from the immediate postwar era to the early 21st century. Gannon’s talk will be followed by a Q&A; 4-5 p.m., UCF Teaching Academy 117
Tuesday, Nov.14 – The UCF Community Veterans History Project presents Veterans History Day. Students will interview veterans to capture their experiences using oral history to be preserved in the UCF Library Special Collection and Library of Congress; all day, Colburn Hall Room 205. For more information on the Veterans History Project visit, https://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/
Wednesday, Nov. 15 – Student veterans are encouraged to attend Light Up UCF Nov. 15 for Student Veterans Preview Night. The event will take place again this year at the CFE Arena. Now a holiday tradition, the event offers an 8,000-square-foot outdoor ice skating rink, rides and snow every evening. Student veterans interested in attending are asked to call ahead at 407-823-2707.
Thursday, Nov. 16 – Presented by the Veterans Academic Resource Center with support from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Orlando VA – Baldwin Park, the Veterans Education Training and Support is designed to inform faculty and staff of veteran culture, challenges and resources at UCF. The event will take place from 1-4 p.m. at the Barbara Ying Center, Room 140.
The UCF community is invited to attend “Military 101: An Introduction to the American Armed Forces..” Hosted by veterans, this informational workshop focuses on the history, structure,and current issues of the U.S. military branches; 4-5:30 p.m., Colbourn Hall, Room 146.
Monday, Nov. 20 – Light Up UCF will recognize military members for Military Night. Bring family and friends to enjoy a night of holiday movies, ice skating, themed attractions, music and even snow. Military members interested in attending are asked to call 407-823-2707 for admission information.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 – The UCF Community Veterans History Project will host a “Thank-a-Vet” Mobile Note Writing Station at the UCF Library. Stop by to honor local veterans by creating hand written thank you notes; 3-4:30, John C. Hitt Library.
For additional information on Veterans Month 2017 at UCF, call 407-823-3817 or email Tiffany.Rivera@ucf.edu.