The University of North Florida (UNF) opens its wings to welcome around 700 incoming freshmen for Flight School on Aug. 20.  

Flight School is a freshmen onboarding program held at UNF to introduce new Ospreys to campus and teach them everything it has to offer. 

Alongside their peers, students will tour the campus, learn about campus traditions and what it means to be an Osprey.  

To learn more about what academics and other services UNF offer, students will hear from different departments and career services. They will learn about the Dean of Students and what UNF is doing with civil discourse and communication styles. 

Orientation leaders, students who work in Recreation and Wellness, members of the student spirit group, Osprey Life and Production students, and the cheer team will all be there to guide new students, answer questions, and make their new transition into college as comfortable as possible.  

Students will engage in team-building exercises to get to know their peers guided by UNF upper-classmen or as they will be called, the Flight Crew Members.  

Through Flight School, students can meet and connect with their peers so that they may be able to recognize a few familiar faces on their first day and meet new people that they might not have been able to in other circumstances.  

Phaedra Dajarnette is the program assistant for the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, and she explained that although registration is full, there is a waitlist that students can be put on if they want to join, as well as other events being put on by Osprey Life and Productions they can attend.

“If they show up on Saturday and we have open spaces available, we would love for them to join in,” Dajarnette said. “We will also have our week of welcome events, so there will be a back-to-school block party and other events that will be taking place that first week classes start for them to also get more connected during their first week at UNF.” 

Dajarnette also mentioned that students who do come to Flight School would get a free breakfast, lunch, a t-shirt, and a special surprise from UNF President Moez Limayem.  

The transition from high school to college can seem intimidating, but Flight School will be a valuable way for new students to feel more at home, learn about the opportunities UNF can offer, and do it all alongside fellow peers. 

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