At the St. Petersburg City Council meeting on September 8, the City of St. Petersburg officially helped St. Petersburg College kick off its 95th anniversary celebration this month by presenting an official proclamation declaring Sept. 12 as “SPC Day” throughout the city.
Dr. Tonjua Williams, President of St. Petersburg College, accepted the proclamation in the city council chambers on behalf of SPC on Sept. 8. The proclamation was read by Mayor Ken Welch and was brought forward by Council Member Deborah Figgs-Sanders, an SPC alumna.
“I’m so excited to play a role in recognition of this day,” Council Member Sanders said to the audience. “SPC has brought a future to so many in our community and we have tried for years to acknowledge its greatness. Thank you, Dr. Williams, for representing the college with elegance, grace, and professionalism.”
Dr. Williams shared with council members that recognizing SPC Day had been a dream of hers for a long time, and without the support of the city, the college could not help students “learn, earn, and return” in their own community.
“There’s hardly anywhere you go in the city and don’t find someone who has attended SPC,” Williams said. “We encourage our alumni to give back to the institution that continues to give to this community. Thank you, Council Member Sanders and Mayor Welch for this recognition.”
On Sept. 12, 1927, St. Petersburg Junior College held its first classes in an unused wing of the then-new St. Petersburg High School. Local business and political leaders sought to create an institution of higher learning to provide job skills training to local residents who could not afford to travel to other cities to live and study. St. Petersburg Junior College became Florida’s first two-year institution of higher learning.
Today, SPC has expanded its curriculum to offer more than 110 degree and certificate programs, including two-year associates and four-year bachelor’s degrees in 10 areas of academic and career focus. Nearly a century later, the college remains focused on providing access to quality education for all while supporting local workforce needs.
On Monday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m., Mayor Welch will join the SPC Day celebration to publicly present the proclamation at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus, located at 6605 5th Avenue N.
Students, alumni and friends of the college are encouraged to attend and enjoy complimentary food and beverages, as well as free “SPC Day” T-shirts (while supplies last).
To RSVP and view a full list of events, visit spcollege.edu/spcday. For more information, contact Theresa McFarland at McFarland.Theresa@SPCollege.edu or 727-341-3302.
Original source can be found here.
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