Photo courtesy New College: New College President Richard Corcoran and Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly prepare emergency drinking water for distribution to victims of Hurricane Milton.

In more than four decades living in Florida, I’d never previously experienced the eye of a storm during a direct hit. That this storm, Hurricane Milton, was the second major tropical weather system to impact our region in less than two weeks made the occasion all the more surreal.

Hurricane Helene’s vicious flooding and the combination of whipping winds paired with pounding rain during Hurricane Milton devastated the lives and livelihoods of so many citizens of this area, the state of Florida and beyond. While our campus did not escape unscathed, it resumed normal operations within a week of the storm, with employees back at work and students returning to dorms and classrooms.

Some of my proudest moments though came in the days following the storm, as New College served as a distribution site for Hope Florida and the several affiliated state agencies that came together to elevate our community. Food, water, fuel, diapers, baby wipes and many other essentials were distributed to thousands of local residents.

The turnout was humbling. These storms came in rapid succession, testing the limits of our neighbors, yet the response was swift and unified.

Part of New College’s long-term success hinges on the College playing a larger role in our community. We aim to support local residents in need, bolster our relationships with the cultural groups promoting music and the arts, provide stimulating guest speakers and entertaining intercollegiate athletics and perform scientific research to make us all better stewards of Sarasota Bay. We are doing all of these things, but in those moments immediately following Milton, it was important that we help meet some of our community’s most basic needs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis entrusted New College with hosting relief efforts during a very uncertain time. Several of Florida’s strongest leaders came in person Friday to make sure the site was up and running, including Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly, Dept. of Children and Families Sec. Shevaun Harris, Dept. of Juvenile Justice Sec. Dr. Eric Hall, and Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation Melanie Griffin, among others. The Governor and his wife visited the relief site as well, offering encouragement to men, women and children who needed to hear someone has their back.

Many of our staff volunteered their time, even as their own homes awaited power or their own debris clearance. Their commitment to helping others in those difficult moments was a testament to the strength of this community. Over the course of just a few days, thousands of residents received the relief they needed to begin rebuilding. The storms remind us that our greatest achievements lie not only in classrooms and labs but in standing side by side with our community and neighbors when it matters most.

At New College, we are building something special—a stronger curriculum, a growing student body, and an engaged faculty—but for those few days following the storm, our only mission was to be the safest, strongest partner for our community’s safety and wellbeing. Together, we have weathered a few storms now, and we will continue to grow, learn, come together and thrive in this beautiful city we are all proud to call home.

Richard Corcoran is President of New College of Florida.

Photo courtesy New College: New College President Richard Corcoran and Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly prepare emergency drinking water for distribution to victims of Hurricane Milton.