{"id":320783,"date":"2026-06-26T16:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T16:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/320783\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T16:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T16:28:11","slug":"usf-st-petersburg-to-build-new-veterans-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/320783\/","title":{"rendered":"USF St. Petersburg to build new veterans center"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus serves 652 military-connected individuals. These include active-duty service members, veterans, reservists and dependents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Todd Post, USFSP Office of Veteran Success assistant director, the institution is building a new $7.5 million veterans center on the property.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFlorida is a very veteran friendly state,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe have a rapidly growing number of veterans and their family members that are going to school.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Initial conversations about the new center began in 2022. USF leaders hope to begin construction on the project in late summer or early fall. The facility is estimated to be completed by September 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It will be built on the site of the former Special Services Building, which was damaged during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese military-connected students have very unique life experiences and challenges,\u201d Post said. \u201cSo, we want to be able to provide wraparound services in one spot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

They will be able to utilize the center from admission to graduation. Services will include overall wellness support, academic advising, career readiness and student engagement programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the main things we are trying to get at is community building,\u201d he explained. \u201cA lot of veterans lose that sense of camaraderie when they leave the military.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The facility will have a full-service veteran lounge with a cafe, computer lab and group and private study areas. Post added that there will be a training room, where orientation sessions and VIP programs will be facilitated. Additionally, the center will have office space and conference rooms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said that veterans experience three key barriers once they leave the military. They can struggle with \u201csense of identity,\u201d \u201csense of belonging,\u201d and a \u201csense of community.\u201d The investment, Post explained, will address these challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Funding for the project will come from the State of Florida.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The new veterans center will be built on the site of the former Special Services Building, which was damaged during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.<\/p>\n

Thomas Wells is currently studying personal financial planning at USFSP. Previously, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During Wells\u2019 time in the armed forces, he was on active duty for four years as an infantryman. Additionally, he was stationed in Washington D.C. and was part of a unit that performed funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pursuing a higher education degree was a pivot for Wells. Before studying at USFSP, he managed chairs, umbrellas and paddleboards at Archibald Memorial Beach Park\u00a0on Madeira Beach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After Hurricanes Helene and Milton (2024) impacted the business, Wells decided to utilize his GI Bill benefits. Introduced in 1944 during World War II, the law helps qualifying veterans<\/a> and their family members cover \u201call or some of the costs for school or training,\u201d according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 website.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe student veteran population is a niche and highly diverse group on campus,\u201d Wells said. \u201cWe have a unique set of challenges.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of us have to work full time,\u201d he continued. \u201cA lot of us are supporting families and have kids. A lot of us don\u2019t really feel that the college experience is meant for us. We\u2019re like the old people on campus.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

USF\u2019s Office of Veterans Success has helped prepare Wells for career readiness.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe want to be positive force multipliers for our local communities,\u201d he said. \u201cWe still want to serve and help other people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wells explained that the new center will provide a \u201ccentral hub\u201d for veteran students. It will help military-connected individuals determine what direction they need to be focused on. He added that many of the veterans attending USFSP have the \u201cmotivation and drive,\u201d but just need guidance on how to navigate higher education.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The facility will be invaluable to future students, Wells believes. It will help them get \u201cconnected\u201d and \u201clet them know that there\u2019s a community here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ryan Spyker served in the U.S Marine Corps for 21 years. He joined after he graduated from high school in 2003.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spyker held various positions throughout his military career. He was employed as an amphibious assault vehicle mechanic and ground ordnance maintenance officer, responsible for tanks, light armored vehicles and amphibious assault vehicles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Attending USF has been a dream for the St. Petersburg native.<\/p>\n

Currently, Spyker is pursuing a Bachelor of General Studies. According to USF\u2019s website, the degree is customizable and allows students to choose an academic program that aligns with their professional goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spyker owns a solar services business. He is taking classes to help \u201cfacilitate the leadership and management\u201d of his company.<\/p>\n

The Office for Veterans Success has been \u201crelocated a couple times,\u201d Spyker explained. This has made it difficult for students to know what facility to go to or what number to call.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat this building does for us is give us a permanent home,\u201d he said. \u201cNow we can better facilitate and guide other veterans who are going through this journey and experience with a foundation that\u2019s solidified.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus serves 652 military-connected individuals. These include active-duty service members, veterans,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-320783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}