Welcome Home, Rattlers:Thousands Move In to FAMU for Fall 2026

More than 3,300 students are settling into campus housing as new and returning Rattlers hit the Hill for the 2026-27 academic year.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Packed cars lined campus streets, moving carts rolled toward residence halls and families carried boxes filled with the essentials of college life as Florida A&M University welcomed thousands of Rattlers home this week.

For returning students, move-in means reconnecting with friends and returning to familiar traditions. For the freshmen and transfer students, it marks something entirely different: the beginning of their FAMU journey.

According to Herb Johnson, director of University Housing, 3,352 students are moving into FAMU residence halls ahead of the fall 2026 semester. The total includes 1,815 freshmen and 175 new transfer students, in addition to returning students.

Families posed for photos, discussed their childrens future and unloaded cargo with Marva B. Johnson, president of FAMU. (Photo by Jeffery Adams/FAMU)

FAMU President Marva B. Johnson, J.D., Vice President of Student Affairs William Hudson, Ph.D., University administrators, staff and student volunteers joined families throughout move-in activities, helping students settle into their new campus homes and welcoming them to the Fall semester.

“Move-In Day is sacred to me — as a President, and as a mother. There is nothing quite like watching a young person carry their belongings up the Hill for the first time or return to it with a year’s worth of growth already in them. I feel the promise of it. I feel the energy of it. And I feel, once again, the weight of what we have been entrusted to do,” said President Johnson.

She added that students are the heart of the University.

“Every hall they move into, every hand that helps carry a box, every parent who drives away trusting us with what matters most to them — these are not small things. They are big moments. They remind us that FAMU is not simply a place students attend, but a family they join. I am looking forward to all our Rattlers will discover, achieve, and contribute to this campus and to the world,” she said.

Finding Community on the Hill

Among the families making the move was David Charite, who traveled from Atlanta to help his daughter, Kaloni Molton, an incoming business major, get acclimated to college life. Arriving on FAMU’s campus followed a lengthy college search for Molton and her family.

“She felt like this was the best school for her, and we supported her through that process,” Charite said. “We’re looking forward to the four-year journey.”

Asked what he hopes his daughter gains during those four years; Charite pointed to more than academics.

“Community, culture, relationships and education,” he said.

For Charite, that sense of community was evident during their first visit.

“When we came here for orientation, it just felt like they accepted us as family already, and we were just visiting. I fell in love,” Charite said. “I already know I’m going to have to skip my homecoming and come here.”

The start of the academic year always brings fresh energy and feel-good vibes to the Hill. (Photo by Jeffery Adams/FAMU)

Returning Home to the Hill

While new Rattlers settled into campus life for the first time, returning students arrived with their own sense of anticipation for the year ahead.

Sariah Driskell, a second-year general health science student, said friendships and experiences from the previous year made returning to the Hill even more exciting.

“My first year was great. I made lots of friends, definitely a different experience coming from my hometown. I overall loved the experience of being a Rattler, and I’m excited to be back,” said Driskell.

The Macon, Georgia native said she is looking forward to stepping further outside of her comfort zone, meeting more people and experiencing some of FAMU's signature events, including the Orange Blossom Classic, which she missed during her first year.

“I’m definitely looking forward to getting more out there, making new friends,” she said. “Overall, I’m excited.”

Rattlers Helping Rattlers

That same sense of community was visible throughout the week as faculty, staff and student volunteers helped families unload vehicles, navigate the campus and helping them find their residence halls.

For Zarryen Gaines, a fourth-year graphic communications major from Tallahassee, volunteering gave him an opportunity to welcome students who are now beginning the journey he started several years ago.

“It feels pretty good to see people coming to FAMU, experiencing a new environment and being ready to embrace the FAMU spirit,” Gaines said. “It’s nice helping people out, too.”

As he approaches the final stretch of his undergraduate time, Gaines said the newest Rattlers have plenty to look forward to.

“They’re going to have a really good time on this campus,” Gaines said. “They’re going to have a lot of experiences, and those experiences are going to help shape them into great people, especially here at FAMU.”

Seasoned Rattlers could not wait to greet new rattlers with huge smiles. (Photo by Jeffery Adams/FAMU)

From First Move-In to Student Leader

Student Government Association President Kennedy Williams said greeting new students offered an opportunity to reflect on how quickly her own FAMU chapter has unfolded.

“It feels so exciting. It’s a reflective moment because I was just here a few years ago,” she said. “I’m super excited to see all of the first-year students and transfers here on the Hill, and I’m ready to get this school year rolling.”

Williams encouraged incoming students to make academics a priority while also embracing the relationships and milestones that come with life on the Hill.

“Go to your classes, be on time and form relationships with your professors,” she encouraged.  “Some of those relationships will translate over time. And go to the events on campus. That’s how you break out and meet new friends.”

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