{"id":23756,"date":"2025-10-28T14:46:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T14:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/23756\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T14:46:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T14:46:10","slug":"an-ode-to-st-petersburg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/23756\/","title":{"rendered":"An ode to St. Petersburg"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the Catalyst\u2019s Community Voices platform. We\u2019ve curated community leaders and thinkers from all parts of our great city to speak on issues that affect us all.\u00a0Visit our\u00a0Community Voices page<\/a>\u00a0for more details.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite quotes that has guided my leadership philosophy over the years comes from Maya Angelou: \u201cI\u2019ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serving as Regional Chancellor of USF St. Petersburg these past 3 \u00bd years has been one of the great honors of my career and being part of the St. Petersburg community has been a true privilege. I\u2019ve learned and experienced so much during my time here. Most of all, I\u2019m left with how this community made me feel \u2013 welcomed, embraced and connected \u2013 and overall how it made me and my family such a part of the many incredible things happening here.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, I announced that I have accepted the position<\/a> of President at Texas A&M University-Victoria. Becoming a university president has been a longtime dream and career aspiration of mine, and I am excited for this new opportunity.<\/p>\n

But as I prepare to close this chapter of my life and step into a new journey, I find myself drawn to a deep well of gratitude for a place, a community, and a city that has shaped me in ways I could never have imagined. From the moment I first drove into St. Pete, passing the iconic Mediterranean Revival-style welcome tower off I-375, I knew I was entering somewhere timeless, where the past tips its hat to the future. First stepping onto the USF St. Petersburg campus, greeted by the vibrant bougainvillea, sparkling waterfront, and the buzz of students, I knew this was a place unlike any other.<\/p>\n

Located on Bayboro Harbor and stitched into the fabric of downtown, I discovered early on that you cannot separate the campus from the larger community it serves. We are partners in progress, neighbors in spirit, and collaborators in shaping a brighter future.<\/p>\n

For me, exploring St. Petersburg has been to feel the pulse of possibility. Its museums, galleries, and theaters stand as pillars of culture that invite us to think differently and dream boldly. Its businesses, large and small, embody resilience and entrepreneurial spirit. The endless sky, the calm of the bay, the dolphins and manatees that surprise and delight me daily demonstrate the natural beauty of this haven, matched only by the warm, generous and inquisitive nature of the people that make up this exceptional place.<\/p>\n

Our residents reflect a deep commitment to one another and to the place they call home. It is a community of people that never stops asking, \u201cWhat\u2019s next? What more can we do? How can we do it together?\u201d<\/p>\n

During my time as chancellor, I have seen our students chart their paths with resilience and determination, arriving with dreams as vast as the Florida sky and leaving with the tools to make those dreams a reality. I have witnessed faculty members spark curiosity in the next generation while guiding ground-breaking discoveries, and staff who work tirelessly to ensure that our students succeed and our campus sparkles. And of course, I\u2019ve taken immense joy in seeing community partnerships expand opportunities for our campus, strengthening education, innovation and economic prosperity for all.<\/p>\n

The university\u2019s trajectory is inextricably tied to the city\u2019s own. That is perhaps what I love most about this place: progress is never a solitary act. Here, success is shared, growth is collective, and belonging is the common thread.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll carry with me memories both ordinary and extraordinary: cheering as our students competed in our Homecoming cardboard boat race, prepped for finals while enjoying our Late Night Breakfast, or celebrated milestones at our Sailebration commencement extravaganza; welcoming new and returning faculty and staff to campus to start another academic year; spotting with childlike excitement dolphins along the waterfront; concluding an evening event and stepping outside as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in colors that defy description.<\/p>\n

And of course, memories of four manatees being rescued in the cooling waters of our harbor and later rehabilitated and released \u2013 how many times can you take part in that?!<\/p>\n

Maybe the most indelible are memories of planning, responding to, and recovering from more hurricanes than I would like to count (ok, it was six \u2026 I counted). And though these storms greatly impacted us all, they also showed our campus and our community\u2019s resilience, strength, and forward momentum.<\/p>\n

While I may be stepping away from this role, I will never step away from this city\u2019s embrace. St. Petersburg has given me more than I could ever give back: friendships that feel like family and experiences, both professional and personal, that will shape my leadership for years to come.<\/p>\n

So this is not goodbye. It is a heartfelt thank you. Thank you, St. Petersburg, for welcoming me, for inspiring me, and for reminding me each day of the power of community.<\/p>\n

You will forever hold a place in my heart \u2013 bright, beautiful, and full of possibility.<\/p>\n

Christian Hardigree is Regional Chancellor of USF St. Petersburg. Dr. Thomas W. Smith will succeed her effective Nov. 4.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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