SPC Foundation Hosts 24th Annual Donors & Scholars Appreciation Luncheon

4/5/2024

On Thursday, April 4, 2024, the St. Petersburg College Foundation hosted the 24th annual Donors and Scholars Luncheon. The luncheon is an opportunity for those who give to the SPC Foundation to sit down with SPC students who have benefited from Foundation scholarships. Over 350 donors and scholars joined the Foundation at the Hilton St. Petersburg at Carillon Park for music, food, and some moving talks from SPC scholars and supporters. The Foundation supported the College with almost $5 million in funding this year!

This year, the SPC Foundation awarded scholarships to over 4,000 students representing over $2.7 million in awards. Programs at the College also benefited by receiving over $2 million in private support. Distinguished SPC alumna and former astronaut Nicole Stott talked about why people want to support SPC and its impact on everyone’s lives.

“I am so grateful this place existed because I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you without SPC,” she said. “I am so thankful, and to hear the stories I heard today and the vibe that I felt in the room today, there is such a sense of this appreciation of what it means to lift other people up. And I felt that at SPC, and everything that was spoken about today, beyond the money of it, is huge. Having the services and the people around, like Dr. Williams, asking you, ‘Are you okay?’ Do you have what you need?’, that’s been here forever. And I think people appreciate that and it’s why they want to support what goes on here at SPC.”

Jesse Turtle, SPC’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement, gave a warm welcome and his traditional “I LOVE St. Petersburg College,” to the room. He shared how the donors’ generosity not only changes the lives of SPC students but creates generational change. He shared that the fundraiser “shattered” previous records and raised over $12 million. He thanked the Hough Family Foundation for their challenge grant of $5 million to aid in a $10 million renovation campaign for the Palladium at St. Petersburg College.

Turtle also thanked Mary Mitchell Avery and brother Dewey Mitchell for their $1 million donation to the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at St. Petersburg College at the Tarpon Springs campus. Turtle introduced De Anna Sheffield Ward, Vice President of Media & Communications for the Tampa Bay Rays and Rowdies, and gave the mic to the event’s MC.

Sheffield Ward thanked the crowd and welcomed everyone to the annual event. She started off on a personal note stating, “On a personal note, “I would not be where I am today, had I not had a scholarship. I was able to focus on school and not worry about how I was going to pay. You are making a generational change by allowing your investment to pave the way for these students.”

She then wasted no time mentioning SPC’s accolades such as being selected as a First Scholars Network Member by the Center for First-Generation Student Success. SPC was recognized for its commitment to improving experience and advancing outcomes for first-generation students. Sheffield-Ward also talked about SPC’s Promise Scholarship and its success. Last year, the scholarship served over 450 students across five high schools, and it has since expanded to eight high schools in 2024.

“SPC remains steadfast in building lasting connections and enriching the tapestry of our community,” Sheffield Ward said. “Our theme today is one of celebration and gratitude. We celebrate the hard-won achievements of our students — so many of whom have shown tenacity in the face of numerous demands and some alarming odds as they pursue their educational goals. And we extend our gratitude to the amazing support provided by our donors and community partners.”

She thanked the RBC Wealth Management team, the SPC Foundation Board of Directors, the SPC Board of Trustees, esteemed elected officials, ambassadors from the Mexican Consulate in Orlando, and of course, the leader of SPC, President Dr. Tonjua Williams, for making “it possible for the College to educate, empower, and engage students, providing the skills that lead to a high wage job.”

“It is through continuous involvement that our students have the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge that will change their lives forever,” she said.

Next, Dr. Joseph Smiley, who has dedicated over four decades to SPC and serves as the Dean of Social & Behavioral Sciences, delivered the invocation. He expressed how thankful everyone is to the institution of SPC. He used words like marvelous, generous, and supportive, to show how blessed everyone truly is to be celebrating everyone in the room. Smile has profoundly impacted the lives of countless students and colleagues, so his words rang true.

The program broke for lunch and during that time, SPC student and scholarship recipient Elizabeth Daley performed “Gorgeous” from The Apple Tree.Daley is a shining example of SPC’s music program as she wowed the crowd by hitting all the high notes and showing off her talent that is cultivated at the institution.

The next speaker, donor and Foundation Board Member Bertha L. Burruezo, Esq., asked donors “What is your why?” Burruezo told the story of her Honduras grandmother and explained that she had one thing to give to her: unconditional love. And it was this love that brought her back to Florida to restart her education. She got her GED, AA, bachelor’s, and master’s degree all thanks to this love. But she wasn’t done, and through the generosity of donors, she fulfilled one more dream. She got a full ride to Stetson University in St. Petersburg where she graduated at the top of her class.

Burruezo knows her story doesn’t end there, in fact, she opened her own law firm that is going 17 years strong. She told her accolades to allow donors and scholars to share their why because it takes a community and love to allow others to reach their dreams and economic mobility. She is proof that it is worth it.

Burruezo also announced the new 100 Strong initiative.100 Strong, Women Empowering Women is a new initiative at SPC designed to “help others achieve their academic dreams and be successful in their futures.” Those involved want to empower every student enrolled at SPC and harness the power of the Pinellas County Women’s community to make a difference in the lives of students through philanthropy, education, and engagement. The members honor their pasts to support the students of today, and to change their future.

Student scholarship recipient Shalawa Morgan, alumna Sandy Ho, and donor Berth Burruezo

Alumna Sandy Ho took the stage and told the crowd that she had to go off script for a second. She asked that she “strive to have the confidence that Elizabeth (Daley) has.” She also told an antidote of how she is listed as an alumna of the class of ’88 in the program. Her son told her, “Mom, you graduated in the 1900s, as she replied, ‘Yes, yes I did.'” She told the story of how she found SPC and set foot on the Clearwater Campus.

Ho was encouraged to explore and take an array of classes. This advice opened her world to opportunities she never thought possible. She graduated with her AA and transferred to Florida State University where she began down an impressive career path that led her to her esteemed position as the Vice President of Human Resources at Great Bay Distributors. She talked of her journey to continue to be a lifelong learner all thanks to her roots at SPC.

Scholarship recipient Shalawa Morgan, soon to be the Class of 2024, gave the student perspective on receiving a fullride scholarship to SPC to pursue her associate’s degree in interdisciplinary social sciences, something that “filled her with profound gratitude.”

“Gratitude for the journey that has led me to this moment, for the nuances that have shaped me, and above all, gratitude for the incredible support of my community, including The National Council of Negro Women St. Petersburg Chapter and the Foundation’s generosity that have made my dreams a reality,” Morgan explained.

Morgan began her educational journey in Georgia and had to leave higher education because the “reality of financial burdens of education” caught up with her. She told the heartbreaking story of how she lost her brother to gun violence, but instead of drowning, she rose to every occasion presented to her. Morgan moved to Florida to restart her life and knew she needed more than her current position as a leasing agent. She wrote and published her first book “The Butterfly and the Bullet,” and through coping with her hardships, Morgan transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship.

“As I reflect on my journey, it has been defined by consistency, resilience, determination, and a steadfast dedication to positively impacting the world. There is no place I’d rather pursue my Associate’s degree than at SPC,” she said. “Scholarships like these are nothing short of magical for students like me. This scholarship has empowered me to foster my mission effectively and has reaffirmed my belief in the power of education. With these tools, I intend to continue my education at USF. Let us embrace the notion that a delay is not a denial and that our presence here serves as a testament to the belief that we are worthy of investments beyond measure.”

Morgan passed the mic to SPC’s President, Dr. Tonjua Williams, who looked out to the crowd with pride. Dr. Williams began her career at SPC 36 years ago, and as the seventh president of the College, she leads SPC into the future. “I feel gorgeous, I feel beautiful,” she quipped as she praised Daley’s performance and applauded Morgan’s triumphs. “This is SPC.”

Dr. Williams talked about SPC’s mission to get students into high-wage jobs and better their futures. An example is scholarship recipient Eleftherios “TJ” Venieris, who will graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies. He stated, “Receiving this scholarship just means the world to me. It has shaped me into being a better example of myself. It has led me to achieve so many opportunities including landing my first job offer in over 20 years. To the foundation, I can’t thank you enough. It is one of the greatest opportunities that any student could ask.”

This drives home Dr. Williams’ point that she tells people to stop telling students that college is not for everyone.

“A college degree might not be but a certificate is. How do you level up if you have to decide between eating and learning? Working and learning? Why can’t we do both? Why can’t we give them what we need?” she explained. “A scholarship is critical for success for those who don’t have any tools in their toolkit. And we build better families for better generations to come, Let’s go Titans!”

Interested in becoming an SPC Foundation donor? Check out the How to Give page.