For this year’s incoming class of 2026, knowing that they are part of one of the largest and highest-achieving classes in university history is more than just a title.
“I’ve always been a hard worker and always pushed myself,” said A’Shari Simon, a first-year student from Miami, Florida. “Knowing that I’m a part of this class keeps me motivated to keep going and to keep achieving. Knowing that this is so highly regarded, it makes me want to do better for myself and my classmates.”
Last week, 711 freshmen arrived to campus to move into their dorms and participate in the inaugural Dolphin Dive In, a revamped, weeklong orientation designed to acclimate students to campus prior to beginning classes.
Of that group of 711, 45% are from Florida and 55% are from out of state. Thirty-nine students are international. Of this class of top performers, 130 are student athletes.
Stand-outs from the incoming class include class valedictorians, a certified nursing assistant, record-breaking athletes and a JROTC wing commander.
Jasmine Dominguez, an incoming freshman from Miami, along with being a wing commander is a member of the Future Medical Leaders of America and was a National Honor Society member in high school. She plans on majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
“I feel grateful and proud to be part of one of the highest-achieving incoming classes in JU history because I can learn and grow alongside equally ambitious and talented peers,” she said. “There are a lot of new people I would like to meet and a lot of new opportunities I would like to make the best of.”
Though they’ve only been on campus for a week, the freshman class already has aspirations for their time at Jacksonville University and beyond.
Reagan Warnecke came to Jacksonville from Columbus, Ohio. Aside from looking forward to warmer weather and more days at the beach, she said she’s hoping to balance a Division I sport with her classes and other interests.
“It was hard to find a school that had both men’s rowing and a strong nursing program,” Warnecke said, who will hold the coxswain position on the men’s rowing team. “I’m obviously excited for rowing, but also all the little experiences I don’t have back home.”
Warnecke said she was considering attending colleges and universities that had long, storied histories and had been around for centuries. She was in the process of committing to another school when she said she felt called to commit to JU instead.
“I think it's cool that JU is a school that we will be able to help build up,” she said. “I like being part of that, as opposed to walking into a school with hundreds of years of traditions that I have no idea about. We have the ability to make new traditions.”
Her roommate, Lauren Turner of Galveston, Texas, was drawn to JU for its connection with OCEARCH. She plans on majoring in Marine Science and walking on to the JU Sailing team. In her first few days on campus, Turner said it is clear she’s part of a special class, and that her decision to attend JU was the right one.
“I can say I went to college with all these super cool, successful people,” she said. “Being able to network with all these people who will go off to do all these amazing things one day, it's a really great opportunity.”
