Florida State University (FSU) is recognizing its first-generation student veterans during Veterans Day on November 11 and First-Generation College Celebration Week, which runs through November 12. The university acknowledges the challenges and strengths these students bring. Billy Francis, director of the Student Veterans Center, said first-generation veterans add resilience and perspective to campus life.
Since 2011, the Student Veterans Center has offered academic advising, transition support, and help with VA benefits. The center aims to support military-affiliated students. About 25% of FSU undergraduates are first-generation students, meaning their parents or guardians did not attend a four-year college. The Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) provides mentoring, financial aid guidance, and academic support for first-generation student veterans.
Sgt. Aryanna Fortuna, a public health major from Fort Myers, is a first-generation student veteran. She joined the Florida Army National Guard in 2019 and served as a combat medic in Ukraine. Fortuna transferred to FSU in 2024. Her sister, Gabriela, graduated from FSU in spring 2025. Fortuna is involved in the Student Veteran Association and plans to pursue a career in physical therapy after another deployment…