ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg College recently earned a prestigious honor.
What You Need To Know
St. Petersburg College has been named a Purple Star Campus
This designation was created in 2023
There are currently 20 schools in the state with the designation
The school was named a Purple Star Campus for its support of veteran students.
The designation was created by the Florida Legislature in 2023 to recognize colleges that show a commitment to supporting military families.
For Skander Philipi, a St. Petersburg College student, transitioning from military to civilian life is not easy.
“Leaving the Marine Corps, I had a retirement, and I had benefits to help me in life, but I wanted to pursue something more than just being a Marine,” he said.
Skander served as a Marine for 16 years.
He deployed to Afghanistan, in addition to spending time as a drill instructor, combat instructor, and martial arts instructor.
Skander is not surprised that the college received the Purple Star designation.
“The teachers are more in-depth with you, hands-on, because it’s a small classroom,” he said. “So I think it’s a very beneficial environment for veterans.”
When Allison Shenofsky, coordinator of Veteran Services, was looking into what it would take for St. Petersburg College to become a Purple Star campus, she realized they already met many of the requirements.
This included appointing a dedicated military liaison and offering a student-led transition program, and more.
As an Army veteran, Shenofsky said she wants her fellow veterans to feel comfortable in their transition back to civilian life.
“When I took my uniform off, I thought it would be A-OK, nothing’s weird,” she said. “And everything was weird.”
Florida schools that are designated collegiate Purple Star campuses keep that honor for three academic years.
There are currently 20 schools with the honor in the state, including three others in the Bay Area: Pasco-Hernando State College, Polk State College, and State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.