Inaugural SPC Day Provides Key Support for the Titan Fund

2/22/2023

The inaugural SPC Day on September 12, 2022, was everything it needed to be – a commemoration of the college’s rich history, a celebration of its present day role in the life of our community, and a chance to prepare for even better days ahead.

Among the many highlights was a proclamation by the City of St. Petersburg declaring September 12^th  as St. Petersburg College Day. The proclamation, delivered by Mayor Ken Welch, came on the heels of a rousing address highlighting the ways in which SPC has made an impact in the community for nearly a century. Mayor Welch looked to the future as well, noting that the college’s growth is an economic boon to the region, and that its continued growth is important for the well-being of all of Tampa Bay.

In her remarks, SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams noted the legacy of two special guests, John and Alan Day. The brothers are both SPC graduates, and the sons of a member of St. Petersburg Junior College’s first graduating class. Their mother, Helen Ormsby Day, graduated from SPJC—SPC’s original name—in 1929. As a family of educators, the Day brothers established a scholarship in their mother’s honor.

After recounting the brothers’ generosity, President Williams asked the assembled crowd to join them in making an SPC Day gift to the Foundation. During the day, 340 donors did just that, giving $225,695 to the college in the process. The funds earned for the Titan Fund support a number of crucial college initiatives that provide our students a helping hand when they need it most.

Just one example of the impact of the Titan Fund can be found within the SPC College of Nursing. Due to a severe nursing shortage, the communities we serve are greatly impacted. SPC’s goal is to ensure that our students are prepared academically to pass and obtained their professional licenses. In this way, we produce nurses in our community to take care of patients. This past year, nearly $50,000 from the fund covered the cost of training and preparation to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), the last step in the process of becoming a registered nurse.