Recently, the UCF community honored the lives of 28 students during the Eternal Knights memorial service. Eternal Knights, in its ninth year, memorializes UCF students who have passed away during recent academic terms. It enables families and friends to join with the campus community in a solemn tribute to their loved ones. During the eulogy, each student is recognized and given the title, “Eternal Knight.”
A team of Student Development and Enrollment Services (SDES) and Student Government Association (SGA) representatives volunteered to plan the program, with the goal of increasing awareness of the ceremony and making it more personal for the families in attendance. For the second year in a row, the committee solicited volunteers to serve as escorts for the families on the day of the ceremony. Eighteen SDES staff members volunteered to serve in this role, each providing an assigned family with individualized attention, giving them directions and answering questions both prior to and on the day of the ceremony. SGA wrote Senate resolutions for each of the students which were framed. Finally, during the reception following the ceremony, SDES Leadership Team members presented a Certificate of Achievement, the Senate resolution and an etched vase to each family, on behalf of the university.
“While this was a very somber event, families and friends in attendance seemed to appreciate the gesture, including the fact that a university of this size took the time to recognize their loved ones,” said a family member in attendance.
Eternal Knights is hosted by the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.