MCC hosts annual Honor Stride Walk
Meridian Community College hosted its annual Honor Stride Walk, bringing the campus community together to honor veterans and service members and remember lives lost.
The event, organized through MCC Military and Veteran Services, recognized Sgt. Robert “Shane” Pugh, a 25-year-old medic in the Army National Guard, who was mortally wounded in Iraq in 2005. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. His mother, Wilma Allen, shared remembrances of her son.
Honor stride also brought together students, employees, veterans, and community members who participated by walking one mile along a marked path on campus. The MCC Veterans Committee also helped with the program and the walk.
Shaquita Hopson Alfonso, MCC associate director of military and veteran services, said the event was a time for reflection and purpose. “Today we gather with a purpose, together in remembrance, remembering in gratitude,” Alfonso said. “We recognize the brave men and women who answered the call to serve our country.”
“We also came together to raise awareness and remember veterans and service members lost to suicide, reinforcing the importance of continued support and connection within our community,” Alfonso noted.
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu/military.