[{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1377|1570|1380|1325","Content":"","Date":"2025-04-15T18:11:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Alumni-Golf-Tournament.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"collage of golf images promoting the 17th annual golf tournament"},"Headline":"17th Annual Gibbs Junior College Alumni Association Golfing for Scholars Golf Tournament","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/17th-annual-gibbs-junior-college-alumni-association-golfing-for-scholars-golf-tournament","value":{},"title":"17th Annual Gibbs Junior College Alumni Association Golfing for Scholars Golf Tournament","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Alumni-Golf-tournament-2025.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"collage showing the logo for the golf tournament over a golf ball"},"Title":"17th Annual Gibbs Junior College Alumni Association Golfing for Scholars Golf Tournament"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"2114|1378|1381|1321|2338|2210","Content":"<p>As single mom Antoinette Catalano finished sharing her journey from foster care and abuse to overcoming medical injuries to earning her degree at the age of 32, the audience stood and cheered in support.</p><p>On Friday, April 4, more than 350 supporters of St. Petersburg College and scholarship recipients attended the 25th annual St. Petersburg College Foundation Donors and Scholars Luncheon at the Hilton St. Petersburg at Carillon Park.</p><p>The luncheon is a celebration for all SPC donors and supporters to thank them for their involvement. The event provides an opportunity for donors to meet some of the SPC students who have benefited from SPC Foundation scholarships and program funding, and featured moving speeches from Catalano and others, and music from SPC students.</p><p>The Foundation supported the College with almost $5 million in funding in the past year, including more than $2.7 million in scholarships to over 4,000 students. In addition, more than $157,000 was distributed to more than 450 students whose lives were impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.</p><p>“Your unwavering support of the SPC Hurricane Relief Fund made an extraordinary difference. Your generosity provided immediate assistance to those most affected – our students, faculty and staff – when they needed it most,” said Mark Strickland, SPC’s Interim Vice President of Student Affairs, who emceed the event. “We proudly honor the resilience and accomplishments of our students – many of whom have persevered through immense challenges and competing demands to stay on course and pursue their dreams.”</p><p>Catalano persevered through years of personal and physical challenges before finally earning her associate’s degree, and is now continuing in SPC’s Human Services bachelor’s degree program with aspirations to attend law school.</p><p>“I am especially thankful to the SPC Foundation donors for making the impossible possible,” said Catalano, who endured 10 broken bones and 10 surgeries following a car accident years ago. “I knew I had to go to college because I needed a career that did not involve standing for prolonged periods of time, and I also knew I needed to generate a gainful income to support my son and me. Without scholarships, that would not have been possible.”</p><p>SPC alum Dr. Jackie Munro also shared her journey with the College. Munro is the Vice President of Nursing Systems and Resources at BayCare Health System, which is a longtime SPC partner and donor.</p><p>“My best memories in nursing school [at SPC] included valued conversations with faculty about nursing practice,” said Munro. “They inspired me to continue my education and begin my nursing leadership journey.”</p><p>She thanked SPC faculty for paving the way for student success by uplifting students and inspiring them to think big, using her story as an example of how one program can influence one student and, in turn, help shape the future of a community. SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams gave closing remarks, echoing Catalano’s comments.</p><p>“How we were raised, the mistakes we’ve made, they do not define us, but they make us stronger, and they make us work harder,” said Dr. Williams. “There are so many people who say, ‘I am who I am because of SPC,’ and that’s because of our wonderful faculty, our staff, our board of trustees, our Foundation board and our donors...We are SPC! And we could not do that without you.”</p><p>Thank you to all our SPC donors and supporters! For more photos of the event, check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1339802573925311&type=3" target="_blank" title="facebook photo gallery donors and scholars 2025" rel="noopener">photo album on Facebook</a>.</p>","Date":"2025-04-09T14:11:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Newsroom/donors-scholars2025.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"portrait of scholarship student Antoinette Catalan standing at a podium addressing donors"},"Headline":"SPC Foundation Hosts 25th Annual Donors and Scholars Appreciation Luncheon","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"spc-newsroom/spc-foundation-hosts-25th-annual-donors-and-scholars-appreciation-luncheon","value":{},"title":"SPC Foundation Hosts 25th Annual Donors and Scholars Appreciation Luncheon","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"SPC Foundation's 25th Annual Donors and Scholars Appreciation Luncheon highlights student triumphs","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Newsroom/donors-scholars2025-sm.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"portrait of scholarship student Antoinette Catalan standing at a podium addressing donors"},"Title":"SPC Foundation Hosts 25th Annual Donors and Scholars Appreciation Luncheon"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1379|1326|1378|1325","Content":"","Date":"2025-03-10T20:17:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Carroll-laptops.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"group shot of Carroll family and students, advisors, deans and professors standing behind a cart full of laptops"},"Headline":"Carroll Family Gives Back to SPC with Laptop Lending Library","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/carroll-family-gives-back-to-spc-with-laptop-lending-library","value":{},"title":"Carroll Family Gives Back to SPC with Laptop Lending Library","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Carroll-laptops-sm.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"group shot of Carroll family and students, advisors, deans and professors standing behind a cart full of laptops"},"Title":"Carroll Family Gives Back to SPC with Laptop Lending Library"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"Be Part of St. Pete’s Cultural Legacy — Name a Seat and Help Transform This Historic Venue","CategoryIds":"1379|1326|2114|1380|2338","Content":"","Date":"2025-03-08T21:17:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/palladium-interior.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"interior shot of seats at historic Palladium theater"},"Headline":"The Palladium at St. Petersburg College Expands its $10 Million Renovation Campaign with 'Name A Seat' Launch","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/10-million-renovation-campaign-for-the-palladium-theater-expands","value":{},"title":"$10 Million Renovation Campaign Expands with 'Name A Seat' Launch at the Palladium at St. Petersburg College","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/palladium-interior-sm.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"interior shot of seats at historic Palladium theater"},"Title":"$10 Million Renovation Campaign Expands with 'Name A Seat' Launch at the Palladium at St. Petersburg College"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1323|1379|1569|1326","Content":"","Date":"2025-03-05T13:40:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Newsroom/math-anxiety-class.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC Advisor Leah Deranian and SPC Math Professor Dr. Carol Weideman (from left, first row) pose for a selfie with students who participated in the Math2Finish course."},"Headline":"Math Whisperer Dr. Carol Weideman Helps Students Overcome Math Anxiety","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/math-whisperer-carol-weideman","value":{},"title":"Math Whisperer Dr. Carol Weideman Helps Students Overcome Math Anxiety","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Newsroom/math-anxiety-class-sm.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC Advisor Leah Deranian and SPC Math Professor Dr. Carol Weideman (from left, first row) pose for a selfie with students who participated in the Math2Finish course."},"Title":"Math Whisperer Dr. Carol Weideman Helps Students Overcome Math Anxiety"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1569|1326|1570|1380","Content":"","Date":"2025-02-26T12:24:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/SPCollegiate-Hight-School-tarpon.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC collegiate high school students lined up in front of blue wall with SPC emblem"},"Headline":"St. Petersburg Collegiate High School Students Lead Hurricane Relief Bake Sale, Raising Funds for Community Recovery","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/st-petersburg-collegiate-high-school-students-lead-hurricane-relief-bake-sale-raising-funds-for-community-recovery","value":{},"title":"St. Petersburg Collegiate High School Students Lead Hurricane Relief Bake Sale, Raising Funds for Community Recovery","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/St-Petersburg-Collegiate-Hight-School-tarpon.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC collegiate high school students lined up in front of a blue wall with the SPC logo"},"Title":"St. Petersburg Collegiate High School Students Lead Hurricane Relief Bake Sale, Raising Funds for Community Recovery"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1379|2114|1377|1317","Content":"<p>During COVID-19, Dawn Grady refocused her career and education on project management. After earning her bachelor’s degree from SPC, she was rewarded with a whopping $56,000 pay raise in a new position.</p><p>As COVID-19 began to upend the global economy in 2020, St. Petersburg College alumna Dawn Grady knew she wanted to realign her priorities. The veteran sales manager had relied on her strength in building business relationships and passion for leadership to achieve glowing success in her career. But as the looming pandemic grew, she recognized that the upheaval gave her a chance to reinvent herself.</p><p>“When I saw the economy and industries changing, I knew that I would need to be at the top of my game,” Grady said. “I asked myself, ‘Am I going to be the same person, or will I be different?’ ”</p><p>Grady returned to SPC, where she had earned her Associate in Arts degree, to pursue her <a href="/future-students/degrees-training/business/management-and-organizational-leadership/management-and-organizational-leadership-bas-degree" title="Management and Organizational Leadership B.A.S. Degree">Bachelor of Applied Science in Management and Organizational Leadership</a> at SPC. She focused on managerial risk analysis and decision making and graduated in less than two years, in December 2022.</p><p>“This degree really taught me how to leverage and lead with emotional intelligence,” Grady said. “The emphasis on international and global perspectives teaches you how to relate to all kinds of people. I was able to see and practice in the real world what I learned in my courses.”</p><p>At the time she started her bachelor’s degree, Grady was working as an area sales manager for a major electronics manufacturer. She had worked her way up to managing a sales territory but couldn’t advance because she wasn’t keen on relocating.</p><p>Once she focused her career path and education on project management, it literally paid off. Earning her bachelor’s degree translated to a $56,000 raise in her new position as a project manager at an IT firm in California. This remote position was perfect for her busy life and gave her the flexibility she had been looking for.</p><p>“It’s never too late to earn your degree,” Grady said. “Keep going and don’t stop. You will get there. Embrace being a lifelong learner as a mindset, and that will be a game changer.”</p><p>Since she graduated, Grady has earned several project management certifications and has acted as a role model for her teenage stepdaughter.</p><p>“She’s watched me go to school and knows what that’s about. I tell her you’re a leader. You’ve got to finish school.”</p>","Date":"2025-02-07T18:24:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Newsroom/dawn-grady.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"portrait of SPC alumna Dawn Grady in a pink dress shirt standing in front of a painting"},"Headline":"Investing in Her Future: Alumna Dawn Grady","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"spc-newsroom/alumna-dawn-grady","value":{},"title":"Investing in Her Future: Alumna Dawn Grady","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Newsroom/dawn-grady-sm.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"portrait of SPC alumna Dawn Grady in a pink dress shirt standing in front of a painting"},"Title":"Investing in Her Future: Alumna Dawn Grady"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1379|2114|1377|1325","Content":"","Date":"2025-01-30T20:38:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/jeff-mowry.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"Theresa McFarland, SPC Foundation Executive Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Engagement Program, and Sara Sabourin, SPC Business Relationship Manager, present the Building Bridges: Nurturing Alumni Pathways and Workforce Development Award to Jeff Mowry, Senior Financial Designer for Universal Financial Consultants."},"Headline":"Designing Investment Success: Alumnus Jeff Mowry aids financial advisors, SPC student","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/alumnus-jeff-mowry-profile-designing-investment-success","value":{},"title":"Designing Investment Success: Alumnus Jeff Mowry aids financial advisors, SPC student","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Newsroom/jeff-mowry-sm.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"Theresa McFarland, SPC Foundation Executive Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Engagement Program, and Sara Sabourin, SPC Business Relationship Manager, present the Building Bridges: Nurturing Alumni Pathways and Workforce Development Award to Jeff Mowry, Senior Financial Designer for Universal Financial Consultants."},"Title":"Designing Investment Success: Alumnus Jeff Mowry aids financial advisors, SPC student"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1379|2114|1377","Content":"","Date":"2025-01-22T05:00:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Nicole-Stott-Titus.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC Alumna Nicole Stott posing with Titus, the Titan mascot at SPC Day"},"Headline":"From SPC to Space and Back Again: Nicole Stott returns to SPC as a Foundation board member ","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/nicole-stott-profile-from-spc-to-space-and-back-again","value":{},"title":"From SPC to Space and Back Again: Nicole Stott returns to SPC as a Foundation board member","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Nicole-Stott-Titus-sm.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC Alumna Nicole Stott posing with Titus, the Titan mascot at SPC Day"},"Title":"From SPC to Space and Back Again: Nicole Stott returns to SPC as a Foundation board member"},{"Author":"","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"1697|1378|1380","Content":"","Date":"2024-11-04T13:27:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Duke-Enerty-10k-Gift.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC facilities crew cleaning up fallen branches from storm damage"},"Headline":"Duke Energy Makes $10K Gift to Hurricane Relief Fund","Link":{"isValid":true,"url":"foundation/foundation-newsroom/duke-energy-makes-10k-gift-to-hurricane-relief-fund","value":{},"title":"Duke Energy Makes $10K Gift to Hurricane Relief Fund","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":true,"src":"/Images/Foundation/Newsroom/Duke-Enerty-10k-relief-Gift.jpg","w":"","h":"","alt":"SPC team members cleaning up branches"},"Title":"Duke Energy Makes $10K Gift to Hurricane Relief Fund"},{"Author":"88","Blurb":"","CategoryIds":"","Content":"","Date":"2023-10-30T13:28:00","FeaturedImage":{"isValid":false,"src":"","w":"","h":"","alt":""},"Headline":"","Link":{"isValid":false,"url":"","value":{},"title":"","target":"","isCurrent":false,"attributes":{}},"OpenGraphDescription":"","ThumbnailImage":{"isValid":false,"src":"","w":"","h":"","alt":""},"Title":""}]