Florida Gulf Coast University begins its 27th academic year on Monday, and, as with many new beginnings, this school year brings hope and excitement, especially as students move on to campus.
It's a major life event: Going away to college after 18 years of living at home and attending K-12 schools.
So how did Brandon Lipsit, of Boca Raton, feel as he started at FGCU?
"I'm very much excited to be part of this," he said as he carried personal items into his dorm at South Village on the FGCU campus.
And what about dad, Dan Lipsit?
"I am way more anxious than my son," Dan Lipsit said. "I have fear running through my veins. I feel I have been his protector all this time, and now I don't know what to do. He's going to have to be his own protector."
Brandon Lipsit will be one of about 16,000 Eagles this year. That's roughly the same enrollment as last year; FGCU won't know the exact figure until the end of the first week of classes.
Enrollment in Florida colleges and universities dropped during the pandemic, but the numbers are increasing now.
The Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research predicts college enrollment in the state system will grow about 2 percent a year, through the end of this decade.
Parents like Katie McDonough recently were pushing carts stacked high with belongings as she helped son Landon Roeller move into Eagle Hall. The family lives in a suburb of the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Emotions were running high.
"Don't ask me, I might cry," McDonough said. "There were tears this morning before we came to campus for the move. A little piece of me will be missing for awhile."
Her son, Landon Roeller, agreed it is an emotional time.
"I will miss her," he said. "It is a long way from home. But we'll talk. We'll be good."
Declan Bowdren of Cape Coral is beginning his second year as a psychology major at FGCU. He transferred from Florida SouthWestern State College. He said he likes the education he's getting at FGCU.
"There's a lot of resources to help everyone succeed," he said. "There's the writing lab. You can go to classes and talk to your teachers if you need tutoring. There's the library where you can scan books."
Offering a sense of camaraderie, the annual Eagle Revolution student gathering will be held at Alico Arena Monday night.
WGCU News is your trusted source of information in Southwest Florida. Mike Walcher is a reporter at WGCU News, and can be reached at
mwalcher@wgcu.org