Anonymous $50,000 donation helps University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee dedicate space for veterans center to open in April

MANATEE -- With the help of a $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor, construction of the Military and Veterans Success Center at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee is moving toward a mid-April opening.

"It gives us space to better serve our veterans, active duty military, guard and reserve personnel who attend class here," Todd Hughes, veterans service administrator, said Tuesday.

USF Sarasota-Manatee has approximately 180 veterans. Now, they will have a place to congregate, enjoy camaraderie with other vets, study and receive counseling.

The 625-square-foot facility will include a lounge, study carrels, kitchenette, conference room and an of

fice for Hughes who is now housed in the student services area.

Veterans visiting the center can learn about Veterans Affairs educational benefits, and ask about scholarship opportunities.

The center will house meetings of the Student Veterans' Society and Wounded Warrior Project, among others.

"USF Sarasota-Manatee has such a small, personal environment that veterans tend to do well here," said Charlie Terenzio, director of communications and marketing. "For the most part, Todd knows every veteran on campus."

Services to veterans began to ramp up in 2013, when USF Sarasota-Manatee, which had previously provided only junior and senior years of college, added freshman and sophomore classes as well.

The $50,000 gift, which Terenzio called "very generous," helped make the Military and Veterans Success Center a reality.

In a written statement, Sandra Stone, regional chancellor who was traveling in Belgium, said the anonymous gift is "one example of how the community steps up to help us expand services in our region."

Dennis Stover, regional vice chancellor for university advancement, said the center offers veterans a space where they can spend more time with their peers to help them be successful.

"We are fortunate to be able to repurpose an existing space so that it can become more student-centric," Stover said.

James A. Jones Jr., Herald reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter @jajones1.

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 11:04 PM with the headline "Anonymous $50,000 donation helps University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee dedicate space for veterans center to open in April ."