By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing
While the summer months are thought by many to be a downtime for universities, USF St. Petersburg welcomed around 770 students during its 2024 summer semester, a new record for the campus.
Half of these first-time-in-college students lived on campus or commuted, while the other half began their higher education experience remotely. This combination of an incoming class learning in person and from a distance provided both a challenge and an opportunity for the campus.
“Regardless of how a new student begins their education here, we want to ensure they get a feel for what it’s like being a student in St. Petersburg and a sense of our community,” said Aurélio Valente, regional assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate studies.
A new program called Bulls in the Burg launched over the summer to provide residential, commuter and remote students with opportunities to engage with each other and highlight how the city serves as an extension of campus. The program was a mix of online events, workshops and social activities, as well as in-person excursions to key spots in the city, from the Dali Museum to the Saturday Morning Market, a weekly farmers market in the heart of downtown.
The program included in-person excursions to key spots in the city, like the Tampa Bay Rays game.
The campus’ proximity to local businesses and organizations also provided opportunities to organize career service field trips to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art and the Maritime & Defense Technology Hub.
“The walk was beautiful, and I enjoyed the opportunity to explore St. Pete and experience some of its culture with a group from campus,” said incoming student Taylor Yerbic, who participated in a trip to the Saturday Morning Market. “Walking to and around the market for the first time helped me feel like part of the community and I was able to make friends on the way.”
A summer scholarship was created – and awarded to nearly 20 percent of those in the incoming summer class - to support students beginning their college experience and setting them up for success.
Valente, working with Caryn Nesmith, director of community relations, developed two remote learning communities that explored coursework through the lens of St. Petersburg and the deep partnerships between the university and local government, organizations and businesses.
“We realized what better way to introduce these new students to St. Pete than to use our community to onboard new students,” Valente said. “Through these learning communities, we organized a number of guest speakers to provide firsthand accounts of what it’s like living and working in our city to give students a sense of the community they are about to join.”
One of those speakers was David Thompson, director of government affairs for the city of St. Petersburg and a USF St. Petersburg alum. Thompson spoke about some of the major priorities of the city, including the redevelopment of the gas plant district and the opportunities that will bring, as well as his experience as USF St. Petersburg student president and his journey to his current role.
Teaming up for group challenges that allowed students to get to know each other.
“I really wanted to stress to these students how valued young people are in this city and the investment (St. Petersburg) Mayor Ken Welch and his administration have done to enhance opportunities for youth,” Thompson said. “And that coming to USF St. Pete gives them the chance to be on a small campus that resides in the fifth biggest city in the state and that is growing tremendously. There is a reason that people who come here for school tend to stay here.”
Now, as the summer concludes, USF St. Peterburg is gearing up for its New Student Success Weekend from August 23-25, prior to the start of the fall semester. A series of activities, talks, community service projects and city tours will give this incoming class the chance to further interact with faculty and their peers. Students will also learn more about campus resources, traditions and job shadowing and internship opportunities while fully experiencing campus and city life.
“Academically and socially, we hope this programming prepares students to have a strong start to college, challenging them to think critically in the work they are about to engage in and feel connected to their fellow Bulls,” Valente said.
Bulls in the Burg summer programming testimonials
“This was the best event ever! Nothing can be improved about it. I made two best friends from it. I’m sitting with them doing schoolwork right now. We had so much fun. I got to meet a lot of the resident assistants and other people who work for the dorm. Best of all the Ray’s won,” – Alexis Sandrik on attending a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game.
“You had such a warm welcoming speech about St. Petersburg and how your contributions help improve the city. As a non-resident of St. Petersburg, I felt like I would fit right in to such a beautiful community. I also would like to thank you for your transparency about your progression in your career and giving key tips. It was a pleasure having you as a guest speaker,” - Tyshawna Copeland to guest speaker David Thompson, director of government affairs for the Office of the Mayor for the City of St. Petersburg
“The event fostered playful competitiveness while still teaching important life skills. It was a fun way to meet new people and test my budgeting knowledge,” - Taylor Yerbic on the life skills budgeting event.
“The presentation was well done, and helpful. There should be more hacks! I ended up using the hacks the next day in class and it was a success. Helped a lot,” - Isabella Burke on the Reading Like a Boss: Eight Hacks for Academic Mastery workshop.
“The event was highly informative, and provided valuable advice on interacting with hiring personnel, in addition to offering resume tips. I particularly agree with the insight that confidence is crucial when presenting yourself in an interview. I plan to apply suggestions on social skills for interviews and job fairs,” - Yazbeth Hernandez-Gonzalez about a workshop on growing your career and job fair basics.
“Your presentation was truly inspiring. Even though business may not be my intended major right now, you were able to teach more than that. You taught great life lessons and advice for when I am in college. Your speech was extremely entertaining and engaging to the point where I even became interested in the business domain. I thank you so much for your time and I truly appreciate the effort you put into educating us,” - Morgan Toth to guest speaker Jon Decker, senior vice president and wealth management branch manager for Janney Montgomery Scott.