| SARASOTA, Fla. (May 22, 2020) – Jessica Pérez Maqueda, the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus student who launched a mask-collection drive in April, has delivered 1,000 medical masks to Manatee Memorial Hospital. Pérez, along with two other donors, made the delivery on Friday, May 15. Pérez, a School of Education student, said she was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and family who pitched in to help reach her 1,000-mask goal. “This is only possible because these donors decided to act to make a difference in the lives of others,” Pérez said. “This experience showed me what can happen when people come together.” Pérez was greeted at the Bradenton hospital by three nurses, Manatee Memorial CEO Kevin DiLallo, and Marketing and Communications Director Betty Chambliss. Joining them were three mask donors – Geraldine Bush, Elizabeth Sierra and Carol Davis – but many others aided in the drive as well. Pérez said she started the collection last month after talking with a friend and nurse at the hospital who spoke about the need by patients, staff and visitors for high-quality medical masks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health care professionals account for 20 percent of confirmed coronavirus cases. Additionally, Pérez was moved by the virus’ devastation in her native Spain. She grew up in La Línea de la Concepción, a city of about 65,000 across from Gibraltar on the southeastern coast, and she still has many family members in the area. The pandemic hit Spain especially hard, with more than 27,000 deaths, and while Pérez’s family has managed to avoid the virus, they all know friends and coworkers impacted by it. After working at an international school and teaching English, she emigrated to Bradenton in 2005, where she raised her two sons, taught English as a second language in Manatee County public schools and worked at a child abuse prevention center. In 2018, she enrolled at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to pursue a degree in elementary education. She’s on track to graduate next spring. After that, she said she might pursue a master’s degree in education. Her husband teaches history at the State College of Florida collegiate program for high school students. “For me, this initiative shows that ‘where there’s a will there’s a way,’ and the donations to the 1,000 Masks Challenge are proof of that,” Pérez said. “Thank you to all the generous donors who had the will to make this happen.” Consolidation brings changes to Student Government as a new administration begins The USF Sarasota-Manatee campus’ upcoming consolidation with campuses in St. Petersburg and Tampa is unlikely to produce significant changes to the campus’ Student Government, according to student leaders involved in the transition. As USF merges into one university on July 1, student leaders say the biggest change to Student Government will involve the Student Body “president” and “vice president” titles, which change to “governor” and “lieutenant governor,” and the student “Senate,” which becomes known as the campus “Council.” Claire Mitchell and Gustavo Spangher, students at USF in Tampa, will serve as the first university-wide student body president and vice president, respectively, on the “federal level,” working with governors from each campus. “It’s really just a title change,” incoming Sarasota-Manatee campus Gov. Josh Ghansiam said of the restructuring. “The job description and the duties will still be the same.” Ghansiam and Lt. Gov. Melisa Escobar replace outgoing Student Body President Isabelle Starner and Vice President Kayla Collins, who both graduated this spring. The new student leaders said they have big shoes to fill and a busy agenda for the upcoming academic year. High on their list is a new student center to replace the existing Student Commons. The $15 million project, which would house Student Government, recreation and study areas and other spaces, has long been considered part of the campus’ proposed expansion. Among the other proposals are a 75,000-square-foot Integrated Science and Technology Complex on the campus’ south side and residence halls toward the west. “I’d at least like to see ground broken this year,” said Ghansiam, adding that the center has long been talked about but hasn’t been funded. The two said they plan to approach campus administrators to try to advance the project. “We’ve got the blueprints and the location picked out. We’re just waiting for an update,” Escobar said. Also, the two said they plan to talk with the College of Hospitality & Tourism Leadership about adding a mobile ordering system to the campus café for fast pickup between classes. “Sometimes, the café gets crowded and it’s hard to get a coffee or sandwich and make it to the next class on time,” Ghansiam said. Among other options, they plan to: Request of a full-time campus police officerCreate a “live-chat operator” position to answer students’ questionsReestablish a van service between the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus and the instructional labs at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in SarasotaContinue outreach efforts to promote Student Government and campus organizations “I know it’s a lot to do in one year, but we’re both super excited to get to work and represent the Sarasota-Manatee campus,” Ghansiam said.### |
| About the University of South FloridaThe University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu. |