Vigil will help campus remember Sept. 11

Retired Lt. Col. James Thomasson, University of North Georgia (UNG) commandant of cadets, will serve as the keynote speaker at this year's 9/11 vigil at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11. The Corps of Cadets and Student Government Association (SGA) will serve as co-hosts for the event on the Gen. William "Lipp" Livsey Drill Field at UNG's Dahlonega Campus.

"For many, 9/11 is history — something they have studied in classrooms, seen in documentaries or read about in textbooks," Thomasson said. "But for me, and for millions of Americans, it was a lived experience. It was the day our world changed, the day the meaning of service, duty and sacrifice came into sharp focus."

A native of Columbus, Georgia, Thomasson commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery Branch when he graduated from UNG in 2002. He is a graduate of the Marine Expeditionary Warfare School and the Army Command and General Staff College, and he holds a master's degree in organizational leadership from American Military University.

Thomasson deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq with the 82d Airborne and 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Divisions. His previous experiences include course director and military science instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point and several Field Artillery staff positions. He concluded his active-duty service as the long-term strategic planner for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

UNG's Blue Ridge Rifles specialty unit will conduct a 21-gun salute during the vigil to honor those lost and the lives forever changed.

Alexandria Burkingstock, a senior from Dacula, Georgia, pursuing a degree in marketing, will sing the national anthem and "God Bless America" at the vigil. Burkingstock also serves as a Senior Presidential Ambassador.

"It is an honor for me to support this event. Being trained in vocal musical arts from a young age, I knew I wanted to be able to use it to give back to others," Burkingstock said. "I am so excited to help honor and remember 9/11 and am grateful for the opportunity provided by UNG."

Mallory Rodriguez, UNG director of student leadership, works alongside SGA to support the group's role in the vigil.

"Each year, our 9/11 remembrance vigil offers a solemn space to honor the lives lost, reflect on the resilience of a nation, and reaffirm our commitment to unity and compassion," Rodriguez said. "As we approach the 25th anniversary next year, this tradition takes on even deeper meaning at UNG — reminding us that remembrance is not just about the past, but about shaping a more empathetic and united future."