From Georgia Jackson, University communication and university marketing
Friday was a historic day for USF Sarasota-Manatee. At 9 a.m., the campus was abuzz with activity as school officials welcomed the first students to the Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall.
Throughout the morning, volunteers in green “Atala Haul” shirts helped students bring carts of pillows, microwaves, mini-fridges and other household items to suites and apartments on the top four floors of the new building. One student carried a bulletin board already covered with photos. A sign in the atrium reminded students, “On Wednesdays, we wear green!”
“Everything looks amazing,” said Isabelle Sorensen, a student and campus tour guide who has followed the building’s construction, which began in March 2023. “I’m ready to be here all the time.”
Sorensen and her friend Lauren Pellegrino, also a campus tour guide, moved into a two-bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of Atala Hall, which offers spectacular views of Sarasota Bay and the downtown Sarasota skyline.
While this groundbreaking event was part of a larger event spanning all three USF campuses (about 7,500 USF students are expected to live on the Sarasota-Manatee campus starting Monday, Aug. 26, when classes begin there), move-in day was the culmination of a years-long project to transform the campus from a commuter campus into a full-service academic facility.
“Although today marks the beginning of a new era for this campus,” said Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook, “it is not about changing our culture, but rather about expanding the structure of our personalized learning approach and building deeper connections with our students, bringing a new energy and vibrancy that we have long envisioned for this campus.”
In addition to four floors of suites and apartments in four different configurations – many with views of Sarasota Bay – the Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall also feature upscale dining options, a ballroom, a bookstore, study lounges and meeting rooms, gaming areas, student government offices and USF World.
Her father, Tom Pellegrino, who graduated from USF Sarasota-Manatee in 1989, helped Pellegrino move into her new home on campus. He said that day highlighted the difference between his experience and his daughter’s. “When I came here, there were no dorms at USF, so it was all commuter traffic,” he said.
Lauren said she was excited to follow her father’s example.
“It’s just so much fun to talk about what it was like then and what it is like now. I can see what legacy lives on and what has changed,” Lauren said. “I’m really excited to be a part of the Sarasota Manatee family.”
“It’s been a great journey for her,” her father said. “She’s so involved on campus and I’m excited for her to follow in my footsteps. A lot of the things I did, she’s doing now.”
Meanwhile, downstairs, Gwen Switkes waited in line for the elevator that would take her upstairs to her new home — a four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with a kitchenette and living room. Her service animal, Kelsi, a caramel-colored Labradoodle, waited patiently by her side.
“I’ll be working the front desk, so she’ll be like a mascot,” Switkes said of Kelsi. “I just want to meet people and know everyone.”
For Student Governor Spence Gerber, who spent the day helping new students move their belongings into the new building, move-in day was about more than just handing over keys and unloading boxes.
“We’ve opened the door to a new student profile,” Gerber said. “High school students from across the state – and the country – can now add USF Sarasota-Manatee to their wish list.”
Named for the distinctive Atala butterfly, Atala Hall is also home to campus’s first living learning community, where more than 40 students from the Muma College of Business, College of Education, and Judy Genshaft Honors College can participate in a variety of programs and experiences – such as special events and internship opportunities – designed to complement and expand their academic interests.
“The Atalas symbolize transformation, resilience and the importance of harmony with nature,” Holbrook said. “Like these butterflies, our unique students come here for a short time to live, learn and grow. Then they fly off to their next adventure and come back as alumni to enjoy the campus year after year. Now both our students and the butterflies have a place of their own to call home.”
