From Classroom to Courtroom: How UCF Helped Navy Veteran Cody Vincitore ’20 Find His Voice as an Advocate
When Cody Vincitore ’20 graduated from Sarasota High School in 2010, he never imagined he’d one day stand before a jury as an attorney, or that his path there would include a five-year stint in the U.S. Navy, a surprise reunion in the Middle East and a degree from the University of Central Florida that would shape how he practices law today.
“I always wanted to be a lawyer,” Vincitore says. “But coming from a family without a lot of means, it didn’t seem possible. The Navy made it possible, and UCF made it real.”
Finding Purpose Through Service
After high school, Vincitore spent two years working and attending community college in Sarasota before enlisting in the Navy in 2014. “I needed a way to finish school,” he says. “The military gave me that opportunity and taught me discipline, leadership and accountability.”
Vincitore served five years on active duty, deploying overseas and earning the rank of Chief Petty Officer — a milestone his now-wife, Jenna Vincitore ’14, helped him celebrate in unforgettable fashion. While Vincitore was stationed in Bahrain in 2021, Jenna flew halfway around the world to surprise him at his promotion ceremony. “It was completely unexpected,” he says. “I’ll never forget that moment for as long as I live.”
After transitioning to the Navy Reserves in 2019, Vincitore began preparing for his next chapter: earning his bachelor’s degree and becoming the first in his family to pursue a law career.
Choosing UCF
For Vincitore, the decision to attend UCF was an easy one, thanks in large part to Jenna, who had graduated from UCF years earlier.
“All I ever heard from her was good things about the UCF community,” he says. “By the time I enrolled, I was in my late twenties, but I still wanted that traditional college experience — a place where people supported one another, where there was real school spirit. UCF offered that.”
Vincitore enrolled in UCF’s elementary education program in 2019, completing his coursework with the help of post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. He credits the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success (formerly VARC) with making his transition from military life to student life seamless.
“They did an incredible job connecting veterans who had been out for a while with those who were newly separated,” he says. “It’s a big adjustment. In the military, every part of your day is structured. At UCF, you’re in control of your own schedule again. The VARC provides mentors[LA1] who have made that transition successfully, and that made all the difference for me.”
A Teacher’s Heart and an Advocate’s Voice
While his degree prepared him to become an elementary school teacher, Vincitore discovered his passion for advocacy was pulling him toward a different kind of classroom: the courtroom.
“I loved teaching,” he says. “If it were just about the kids and the learning, I’d still be doing it. But I realized I could take that same desire to teach and help people understand, and apply it to the law.”
After graduating from UCF, Vincitore used his GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program to attend Barry University School of Law at no cost. The partnership between the federal government and participating universities covers the tuition gap for veterans attending private institutions.
“I didn’t pay a dime to go to law school,” he says. “Between the GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon, and a scholarship, I was actually paid to go. I still can’t believe it.”
Today, Vincitore serves as an assistant state attorney in Seminole County, prosecuting misdemeanor cases ranging from DUIs to domestic violence. The courtroom experience, he says, is invaluable and often feels like an extension of the lessons he learned in UCF’s College of Community Innovation and Education.
“My education professors probably don’t realize how much they influence my work,” he says. “When I talk to a jury, I can still hear them in my head — reminding me how to teach complex ideas clearly. Teaching a jury is a lot like teaching a classroom full of kids; you just have to adjust your language.”
Lessons in Resilience and Community
Vincitore’s journey from sailor to student to state attorney hasn’t been without challenges, but he credits his success to the unwavering support of the UCF and veteran communities that surrounded him along the way.
“UCF is more than an institution — it’s a feeling,” he says. “Knights help Knights just because that’s what Knights do. That’s something I’ve only ever found at UCF and in the military.”
He also draws inspiration from his mother, who worked as a judicial assistant and legal secretary while raising him. “She always told me that anything worth fighting for is never easy,” he says. “She chose a different path, but I think she would have loved being in the courtroom. Now I get to share that experience with her.”
Paying It Forward
Looking ahead, Vincitore hopes to use his legal experience to advocate for teachers and students, particularly in cases involving special education and disability rights. “Teachers deal with so much that’s beyond their control,” he says. “Eventually, I want to stand up for them in the legal system.”
When asked what he hopes others take away from his story, Vincitore doesn’t hesitate. “I want people to know that anything is possible when you have the right community behind you,” he says. “I never thought I’d be here — but the Navy, my family and UCF made it possible. If my story can inspire even one person to keep pushing forward, that’s all I could ever ask for.”
