98 Years Strong: SPC Marks Anniversary with Fourth Annual SPC Day

9/16/2025

St. Petersburg College (SPC) marked a historic milestone on Friday, Sept. 12, with the fourth annual SPC Day celebration at its Tarpon Springs Campus, commemorating the College’s 98th anniversary of academic excellence and community impact.

Presented by Suncoast Credit Union, SPC Day brought together students, faculty, alumni and community partners for a vibrant celebration filled with campus tours, cultural showcases and opportunities to reflect on the College’s legacy. Attendees also enjoyed highlights of the Tarpon Springs Campus, including the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, a symbol of SPC’s enduring role as a hub of creativity and culture.

Tarpon Springs Mayor John Koulianos

The event featured a special moment as Tarpon Springs Mayor John Koulianos officially proclaimed Sept. 12 as SPC Day in the City of Tarpon Springs. With this announcement, Tarpon Springs became the fourth city —alongside St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Seminole — to formally recognize SPC Day, underscoring the college’s nearly century-long contributions to education, workforce development, and innovation across Pinellas County.

“Today, the City of Tarpon Springs celebrates our partnership, our community and our students,” he said.

Koulianos shared how SPC had an impact on his own life, from his days of teaching accounting at SPC as an adjunct professor to his daughter graduating from SPC with a nursing degree. He still gets calls from former students nearly 30 years later and values the relationships he formed.

“We believe that when a student comes to SPC their lives are forever changed,” said SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams. “Our founders wanted to do something to help people have better lives. That hasn’t changed.”

SPC continues to have an enormous impact across Pinellas County and the entire region, serving more than 35,000 students per year and having matriculated thousands.

“We are Pinellas County,” she said. “We’re a part of the community; we want to be the solution for our communities to thrive.”

This year’s SPC Day raised more than $250,000 from 664 donors, further demonstrating the community’s commitment to supporting student success and innovation at SPC. During the ceremony, the College announced its “Pathway to Better - The Centennial Campaign.” The campaign set a goal to raise $100 million in recognition of SPC’s upcoming 100th year anniversary.