FSU becomes the first university among the sixteen UNC colleges/universities to be designated as a ‘Purple Heart University’
posted by DorMiya Vance | November 15, 2021 | In NewsNovember 10 was a day marked in history for Fayetteville State University; the institution received designation as a Purple Heart University, the first university among the sixteen UNC colleges and universities with this honor.
The Veterans Day Ceremony and Purple Heart University designation was a commemorative event to celebrate and honor U.S. military veteran students. This event was the closer to FSU’s first-ever Veterans Week.
“Needless to say, Fayetteville State’s first-ever Veterans Week was a huge success,” according to Associate Vice Chancellor of Military Affairs and U.S. Army veteran Siobhan Norris.
FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison recognized this moment for FSU as a moment of prestige for its military affiliation.
“It’s pretty cool… We’re officially blue, white, and a little bit of purple,” Chancellor Allison remarked.
The Purple Heart University designation is a way to create a symbolic system of ranking colleges and universities for those who risked their lives serving in the U.S. military.
A soldier who has received the Purple Heart medal has shown true courage and dedication to serve and protect the U.S. as a result, was wounded or killed in action.
Not only does this designation spark change within FSU, but the local military community and those who support it in Fayetteville see this moment as a “trailblazing” turn of events.
“Having this university be the choice for veterans to come and attend, where they actually focus on those recipients of the Purple Heart adds to the diversity of the university,” City Councilman and Purple Heart Recipient Christopher Davis expressed. “It gives those veterans who don’t know if they have a place to further their education an opportunity to be plugged into a place that is specific about its intent to serve that part of the community.”
“I think [this] is amazing,” Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Ferd Irizarry said. “I can’t imagine a more appropriate place for people to reinvent themselves or take their courage and good fortune, if they survive an attack, to go through a system like Fayetteville State University and redefine themselves to be able to give back in a bigger way.”
Sandhills Purple Heart Dinner Committee member and U.S. Army veteran Sara Ballard said: “To see my alma mater not only accept the opportunity to support our dinner but to say ‘we want to become a Purple Heart University’ was a trailblazer. God Bless Ms. Norris for even making the suggestion, I was like ‘let me get you in touch with the right people’ and by the grace of God, Fayetteville State, my alma mater, has become a Purple Heart University.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.