Pictured above: (from left to right) USF St. Petersburg merit scholars Ava Selvig, Shayna Dimmer, Liana Howe, Sahej Raheja and Schuyler Jones tour the campus with Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock.
Courtesy of USF
By Lily Cannon
It’s no secret that the USF St. Petersburg community is rapidly changing. This past year, the student body alone grew by 83%, and welcomed students from all around the country.
Five National Merit Scholars became Bulls just this year, beginning the fall semester with a new record in the school’s 80-year history. Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock said he believes their admission reflects the “distinctive destination campus,” and the scholars, who range in academic pursuits agree.
History major Liana Howe, who traveled over one thousand miles from her home in Pennsylvania, knew she wanted to go to USF St. Petersburg rather than its larger brother campus, because of its flexible environment and beautiful environment. Howe described her “culture shock” coming from up north, but agreed that the ability to “go down to the bay” and relax was a welcomed change.
The opportunities available as a member of the Judy Genshaft Honors College were a big allure, offering exclusive privileges to Merit Scholars, including extensive opportunities abroad and automatic scholarships. Although USF is lauded as a major STEM research university, Howe expressed joy for the approachable humanities professors and the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, offering students multiple fields to explore outside of the sciences.
As a fellow Scholar and Environmental Science major, Schuyler Jones agreed that the benefits of the St. Petersburg campus are expansive, especially being able to take a small drive to the “beautiful beach.” St. Petersburg is not too different from his home in California, only with new possibilities to build his network.
More than simply enjoying the current campus, however, Jones said he looks forward to building new projects on campus with his peers, including a “hydroponics farm” that would add to the agricultural beauty of St. Petersburg.
Jones’ plans reflect the potential of the campus; From the Surfrider Club to the Spoken Poetry Night, Jones believes there is always “something to do.”
His advice for budding Merit Scholars and potential St. Petersburg Bulls is to study hard and take advantage of the full ride offered, which constitutes one of the “best in the nation”.
Sahej Rahej, like Jones, said he is exploring the STEM field as a finance and pre-med major. Jones chose the St. Petersburg campus for its vast and diverse community.
He said he always saw himself taking an interest in STEM and recommended future Merit Scholars study hard, but maintain “a balance” in high school to focus on what they want to do in the future.
All three scholars saw themselves taking the route of their major and thought the city would be the perfect location to start their careers.
Provost Ralph Wilcox shares these students’ optimism for the St. Petersburg student body, expressing the campus’s progression, while still maintaining a welcoming spirit. Wilcox is reminded of the last time the campus welcomed a group of talented Merit Scholars in 2001.
“We valued each and every one of them,” Wilcox said.
