06/14/2026
The University of Louisville is proud to recognize and celebrate Corey on the 251st birthday of the United States Army on June 14, 2026.
Corey Hunter will graduate from the University of Louisville in spring 2026 with a degree in Exercise Science and was recently notified that he was awarded the College of Education and Human Development’s Distinguished Military Graduate award. Corey is also a member of the United States Army Reserves as a Behavioral Health Technician, and he is the outgoing President of the Student Veterans of America chapter at the University of Louisville.
A Louisville native, he has served in the United States Army since 2012. During his service he spent time at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell (Kentucky), Fort Mccoy (Wisconsin), Fort Huachuca (Arizona), Fort Jackson (South Carolina), and Fort Sam Houston (Texas). Corey’s awards and decorations include multiple Army Commendation Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Metal, and the Foreign Campaign Medal.
Among Corey’s favorite Army memories are a deployment to Qatar, where he provided support to Al Udeid Air Base and to Camp As Sayliyah as well as to ally nations and other locations throughout the Middle East. In 2017 during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Corey was able to Australian Fast Rope with the Commanding General of United States Army Cadet Command, Major General Peggy Combs.
Corey has been a student at the University of Louisville since 2023, and during that time he has made significant contributions to the veteran and military-connected community. As the outgoing President of the Student Veterans of America chapter, Corey’s leadership was instrumental to the chapter getting re-established, to growing membership by twenty percent, and to raising veteran student awareness across the campus. On several occasions Corey served as a student veteran panelist during Red Bird training, where faculty and staff learn about the military-connected student experience and become allies for military-connected students.
His favorite memories from his time at the University of Louisville are the community of veterans and military-connected students he was able to join, and the opportunities his service as Student Veterans of America chapter president afforded him. In 2025, Corey was able to perform an internship with the strength, conditioning, and performance coaches for the football team. In November 2025 he was the honorary captain and special guest of the university president for the home football game vs. California, where he and his service dog, Freyja, participated in the coin flip in front of 55,000 fans. Hunter credits the Center for Military-Connected Students for making his educational journey at the University of Louisville, “beyond what I ever thought it would be.”
Corey is keeping his options open as he decides what is next. He intends to either pursue his master's degree in athletic training or to pursue employment in the personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach areas.