Avon Park, Fla. – Nov. 3, 2022 – South Florida State College (SFSC) will host a Veterans Day remembrance ceremony to honor the men and women who served their country in war and peace. The ceremony will be held Friday, Nov. 11, at 10:45 a.m., at Enlightenment Circle on the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park. The public is invited to join SFSC students, staff, faculty, and administrators for this annual ceremony.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Ryan will deliver the official remarks during the ceremony. In August 2022, he assumed command of the 598th Range Squadron, Avon Park Air Force Range. Ryan was previously the director of operations of the 18 Operations Support Squadron, 18th Wing, and HH-60G instructor pilot, 33rd Rescue Squadron, at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. He was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Auburn University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, summa cum laude, in 2004. He was awarded his Master of Systems Engineering from George Washington University in 2010 and his Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2016. As a command pilot, he logged over 2,000 hours of total flight time. He was deployed twice to Afghanistan as a mission pilot.

Three SFSC students will give remarks in honor of all who served their country. Staff Sgt. Mark McGovern, a U.S. Air Force veteran, is working toward his Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) to become a registered nurse. Master Sgt. Calvin Fogle, a U.S. Army veteran, is enrolled in the Career Certificate in Automotive Collision Technology Technician program. Senior Airman Justin DellaRocco, a U.S. Air Force veteran, is working toward his Associate in Arts.

The Sebring High School Show Choir will perform a musical tribute and the Avon Park High School Air Force JROTC color guard will present the American flag. After the ceremony, guests are invited to participate in a Remembrance Walk through a portion of the SFSC Highlands Campus.

To reach the location of the ceremony at the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park, take Entrance 3 on College Drive. Enlightenment Circle is on the southeast side of the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts.

For further information about SFSC’s Veterans Day ceremony, contact Dr. Brent Ferns, SFSC dean of Applied Sciences and Technologies, at brent.ferns@southflorida.edu or 863-784-7424.