Iraq Veteran graduates with matching gown for guide dog

For Iraq veteran, graduation day at USFSP marks the end of a long journey
By Kim Wilmath
Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, May 4, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Mike Jernigan slid into a seat in the front row of the classroom.

He wore a bow tie and a crisp button-down shirt. Green slacks and freshly shined brown leather shoes.

He smiled, bounced his foot on the floor.

"This," he said, "is the conclusion of an arduous journey."

It was his last class.

That journey spanned more than 10 years and thousands of miles. It took Jernigan from an aimless youth in St. Petersburg to the battlegrounds in Iraq. He's changed now, physically and in so many other ways.

He left St. Petersburg able to see, for instance, and with an uninjured brain. But he also left a frustrated 20-something, immature and unsure of himself.

Now, finally graduating from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg this weekend, Jernigan, 33, says he's a better man.

"If I could go back and do it all again," he said, "I'd do it the same."

The camera battery is charged, and Jernigan's cap and gown is ready — with a matching gown for his guide dog, Brittani.

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