December 4, 2025
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University celebrated the global diversity of its campus on Monday during the annual International Flag Parade. Students, faculty, and staff filled the Student Union Commons as they marched with flags from countries around the world.
The parade ran from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. and marked the start of International Education Week, a week that highlights global learning and cultural exchange on campus. This year, 36 people carried flags, along with many others who joined the walk. The Pep Band, cheerleaders, and Ernie the Eagle led the parade, adding music and energy as people walked through the campus.
Many international students carried their home country’s flag with pride.
For many students, the moment felt personal. Farnaz, a senior career advisor from Toronto, watched the parade and said the event shows how much the university values its global community.
“It’s a symbol of the inclusion and the support that this country has for international talent,” she said. She explained that Embry-Riddle continues the tradition because international students bring “skills, experience, and determination” that benefit the whole campus.
Pep Band member Kevin Dong said his team’s role is to bring excitement to the event.
“We play the music to provide the beat and just, yeah, just have a fun time,” Dong said. He also said he enjoys representing international students because they form a very important part of ERAU’s student body. For Tazza, a student from Zimbabwe and the only representative from her country at Embry-Riddle, carrying the Zimbabwean flag felt meaningful.
“The parade lets me represent my country, because if I don’t, nobody else will,” she said. She described the moment as a proud and personal experience.
Event organizer Jennifer Fox, from Yorktown, Virginia, said the parade has been a tradition for about seven or eight years. The purpose is the same every year: to start International Education Week and give international students a place to celebrate who they are.
“A place to feel proud to represent their own communities,” Fox said.
Fox also shared that Timor-Leste was represented for the first time this year, which made the parade even more special. She hopes the event encourages students to appreciate the global culture on campus and consider studying abroad.
Throughout the week, International Education Week also included events such as global culture workshops, study-abroad information sessions, and international student panels, giving the campus more chances to learn and connect.
