
Public Invited to Join Saint Leo University in Celebration of Veterans Appreciation Month
Opening Ceremony Takes Place Thursday, November 6
Opening Ceremony Takes Place Thursday, November 6
The public is invited to join Saint Leo University in honoring our veterans throughout November with events that celebrate their service, sacrifice, and strength. With a long history of serving and educating the nation’s military, veterans, and their families, Saint Leo is committed not only to providing a values-based education to these heroes, but also in recognizing them, especially during Veterans Appreciation Month.
The public is invited to join Saint Leo University in honoring our veterans throughout November with events that celebrate their service, sacrifice, and strength. With a long history of serving and educating the nation’s military, veterans, and their families, Saint Leo is committed not only to providing a values-based education to these heroes, but also in recognizing them, especially during Veterans Appreciation Month.
Recently, the university was named by U.S. Veterans Magazine as a Veteran-Friendly Yellow Ribbon Program school, ranking it as one of the top Veteran-Friendly Institutions and a Premier Yellow-Ribbon School. The university was honored for not only meeting the criteria, but also for its ongoing commitment to veterans.
Events that are open to the public include:
Virtual 1M, 5K, and 10K, November 1-30: Hosted by the Office of Military Affairs and Services, this virtual race supports the university’s Military Excellence Fund. Participants may run, walk, or jog at their own pace and location. All registrants receive a race T-shirt and finisher medal. Register at https://your.saintleo.edu/virtual5k.
Opening Ceremony & Lunch, Thursday, November 6, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (ET), Student Community Center (SCC) Boardrooms: Celebrate our veterans with keynote speaker Lt. Col. Anthony J. Pinto, U.S. Air Force (retired). Lunch is available at the Dining Hall. Online guests may join via Zoom.
Veterans Mass, Wednesday, November 12, noon-1 p.m. (ET), Saint Leo Abbey Church: Join in prayer and reflection at this Catholic Mass with Benedictine Monks of Saint Leo Abbey. Mass will be streamed on Facebook live for online participants.
From Service to Strength: Veterans’ Journeys Beyond the Uniform, 7-8:30 p.m., Selby Auditorium, Lewis Hall: The Honors Program will host a panel discussion to highlight the resilience, transition, and leadership skills veterans bring to civilian life.
Conversations About Success Beyond Service Webinar, Wednesday, November 12, 6-7 p.m. (ET): This webinar will feature Julie Bryson, Saint Leo alumna (classes of 2007 and 2009), Army veteran, advocate, author, and founder of the nonprofit organization, Boots 2 Benefits. Attend at: Zoom | Meeting ID: 913 6689 0816
4th Annual Chili Cookoff, Thursday, November 20, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Student Activities Building loggia: Join students, faculty, and staff for a fun and flavorful competition and sample all the chili entrees.
Military Excellence Fund: Individuals can support Saint Leo University’s veteran and military-affiliated students by donating to the Military Education Excellence Fund to support scholarships and programs for military-affiliated students.
Guest Speakers
The guest speaker for the opening ceremony is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony J. “Yoyo” Pinto, who served as the senior section lead in command and E-3 evaluator air battle manager, 963d Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, OK. He led aircrew from eight different specialties in operating E-3G aircraft sensors and identification equipment to track and pursue targets in support of National Command Authority objectives.
He served in operations Southern Watch (Iraq); Iraqi Freedom; Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Inherent Resolve (Syria/Iraq). During his second deployment to Operation Inherent Resolve, Pinto served as the director of operations for the 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron.
His awards and decorations include: the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters; Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters; Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster; and Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster.
Speaking at the November 12 Success Beyond Service webinar, U.S. Army veteran and Saint Leo alumna Julie Muster Bryson, recently was named as an honoree by Influential Women. She has devoted her life to “ensuring that no veteran is left behind.”
In 1991, Bryson made history as the first female recipient of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Lee’s Soldier of the Year Award.
She founded Boots 2 Benefits and the IGY6.2 Movement to assist veterans with claims support, but also to provide camaraderie and advocacy. “The ‘2’ in their names reflects a core philosophy: veterans are never alone,” she said in a press release.
Saint Leo University is at 33701 County Road 52, St. Leo, FL 33574 in East Pasco County.
For Information
For more information about the events, contact Dr. Anthony DeSantis, associate vice president for Student Affairs, at anthony.desantis@saintleo.edu.
Requests for accommodations for these events can be made by emailing Section504@saintleo.edu. For more accommodation information, visit www.saintleo.edu/accommodations.