When Professor of Education Patrick Coggins, PhD, arrived at Stetson in 1991, his vision was clear — he wanted to give back. 

He succeeded in so many ways.

At the end of the Spring 2025 semester, Coggins will be stepping out of a classroom for the last time after 34 years of teaching at Stetson and will step into retirement. To honor all his efforts in giving back to the Stetson Community over the years, a mural of Coggins was unveiled at the Cross-Cultural Center on Thursday, April 10. 

“I am humbled that so many students and staff showed up,” he said at a reception in his honor. “I thought I’d just come today, give a speech and disappear. I did not realize that I had this type of impact and that I have touched the lives of so many people. That’s what blew my mind; to see that an institution and its students took the time to honor me in such a way, I am deeply moved.” 

Coggins was the visionary who brought to life the idea of having a Cross-Cultural Center (Tri-C) on the Stetson DeLand campus. Today, his dream has been realized, as the Tri-C touches the lives of all students, including international students from Asia, the Caribbean, South America, Africa and several  American students from Florida and other states in the United Stetson.

For Marisol De La Sancha ’96, being present at the unveiling of the mural felt like a full circle moment, as she recalls being part of the first Multicultural Student Council when it first was founded in 1992. 

“It feels like everything that began with that very first meeting, that very first luncheon has progressed and become so big that now every cultural group in the university is being represented,” said De La Sancha, who originally is from Mexico. “This is a tremendous occasion. For him to be recognized is a tremendous token of appreciation for all he has given to the university and the community. He is very loved, he’s very dear and he’s very close to our hearts.”

For Coggins’ daughter, Andrea Coggins Toivakka ’10, being present to honor her father’s legacy was a very heartfelt moment. 

“It’s great to see him still be so student-focus after 30-plus years in education,” she said. “His dedication for his students has always been at the forefront of what he does, and that is what makes him an excellent professor and dad. It’s great to see that he continues to push his students to be their best selves and that he’s always able to meet people where they are and see the greatest potential in them. I think that’s one of his legacies, the impact he still has on students through his work and through his teaching.” 

For Erin Doggette, PhD, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, it was an honor to give Coggins “his flowers” and celebrate him just mere weeks before his retirement, especially as she sets her vision on continuing his legacy in the coming years. 

“Anytime someone walks in the Tri-C, I want them to immediately see the person who started it all,” she said. “They will see the reason we have a Cross-Cultural Center, and they will get to read about the man who made it possible. That is very special. In continuing Dr. Coggins’ legacy, my goal is to ensure the Cross-Cultural Center welcomes all cultures and offers events that allow all students to learn about different cultural experiences and feel like the Tri-C is their home and they truly belong at Stetson.”

– Andrea Mujica