SPRING STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Military and Veteran Student Success (MVSS) is proud to recognize U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Veteran and Florida Atlantic, Wilkes Honors College student Seth Smith as the Student in the Spotlight for the Spring 2026 Semester and as the recipient of the 2026 FAU Northern Campuses “Rising Star Award. Seth was recently featured on CBS12 news for the 250th anniversary of the United States: Young Marine veteran represents pride, purpose as U.S. nears 250th anniversary (Credit: Liz Quirantes, CBS12 News)

Seth serves as an ambassador of all that is great and rich about Florida Atlantics' students and the military student community. Seth proudly served on Marine Corps active duty for 6 years as an aircrewman on CH-53 Sea/Super Stallion helicopters with various operational deployments. Following a severe injury that he sustained while on active duty, Seth sought a new pathway toward higher education and a future career. In the fall of 2025, Seth chose Florida Atlantic and the Wilkes Honors College. Today, Seth is excelling in his honors program with a 3.7 GPA.

Seth is a member of the Student Veterans of America (SVA) – Florida Atlantic Chapter, FAU Veteran Owls (VO) student organization, and he volunteers with the Warriors Choice Foundation – a Service Dogs Program created to aid fellow disabled Veterans. Further, Seth is pioneering as one of Florida Atlantic's first disabled Veteran students enrolled in the FAU College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Education's AccessTECH Project.

AccessTECH is a national initiative dedicated to providing pathways for Veterans with disabilities to earn industry-recognized experience and certifications in Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and CAD and 3D Printing. In addition to his regular academic honors courses schedule and volunteer work, Seth is enrolled in the AccessTECH CAD and 3D Printing program. This robust program will include a paid internship and a nationally recognized SolidWorks credential certification.

After his selection as Florida Atlantic's 2026 Rising Star for Northern campuses, Seth reported that “I am extremely grateful for this recognition. I am committed to success both at FAU and in my professional career.”

Recognizing Seth at the Florida Atlantic, 2026 Northern Campus Awards on April 7, 2026, was the Marine Corps League (MCL) of Palm Beach County, Commandant Kevin O'Brien - Detachment Commander, and MCL members. Seth was inducted into the MCL of Palm Beach County by Commandant O'Brien. Semper Fidelis | Go Owls!
 
The MVSS team looks very forward to following Seth's very bright future.