Starting in the fall, students at St. Leo University in Pasco County can major in a veterans' studies degree to learn how to unpack and analyze the veteran experience.

Why it matters: Our area has the first university in the country to offer a four-year degree on the topic — and it's targeted at veterans and civilians alike.

• Civilians might not have any other way to learn deeply about military experiences, especially in higher education, according to professor Ernest McClees.
• And veterans can process their experiences and understand others in a way that creates self-love.

Flashback: St. Leo, which started as a military academy in the late 1800s, welcomed veterans returning from Vietnam as many other universities shunned them, McClees said.

• Now, almost 45% of its student population is "military-connected," meaning they are either in the military, have been in the military, are a family member of a military service member, or a veteran.

The program starts with a foundational course, looking at who veterans are, what it's like to serve and become part of the culture of the military, then transition back into society. Other courses include:

• Legendary warriors, a global and historical look at how veterans have been represented in literature, art, political speeches and other forms of media.
• Native American warriors and veterans, a look at how Native Americans serve in high numbers compared to their small representation in America, and what it's like to serve your country and your tribe.

What you might learn: The concept that all veterans are plagued with trauma and PTSD is a fiction perpetuated in pop culture, professor Karen Hannel said.

• It turns out veterans tend to experience the same or even less trauma than civilians, Hannel and McClees say.
• After being in the classroom 28 years, Hannel has found veteran students are the ones who take the lead in "putting anxiety in its place." "They can be great leaders in the classroom who might be studying with that," she said.

The bottom line: "I think this gives someone a chance to fully understand their experience in a broader scope and be able to accept their place in the transition and their place in a larger society," McClees said.

As the Asian American population grows, the community faces more challenges with homeownership and income equality, according to new Zillow research.

By the numbers: Asian-headed households grew 83% over the last 20 years, bypassing Latino, Black and white household growth.

• Asian homeownership rates rose 6% in the same timeframe.
• In almost half of Zillow's top 50 metro areas, the typical median Asian household income and Asian household poverty rates are higher than the metro median.

In Tampa Bay, Zillow found Asian homeownership has risen 7.2%.

• The Asian homeownership rate for Tampa Bay is 65.3%, with a median household income of $75,560.
• And the Asian household poverty rate is 10.7%, or 2.5% lower than the metro median poverty rate.

The bottom line: Despite some improvement, we've still got a long way to go in making homeownership opportunities truly equitable.

👋 Ben here: I don't pound hamburgers often, but when I do get a craving, Thee Burger Spot in Tampa Heights is front of mind.

• On a recent visit, a man at the counter was telling staff at the family-owned joint that he's a truck driver, and he has eaten burgers across the country. "Nobody does it like y'all," he said.
• Thee Burger Spot started in East Tampa but is now located at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Tampa Street.

🍔 Got a favorite burger? Join our Nextdoor group, The Feed: Tampa Bay Local Eats, and let us know what you're putting down the hatch.

With forward Barclay Goodrow back in the lineup and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy just repelling the hell out of the puck, the Lightning trounced the Florida Panthers 4-0 in Game 6 on Wednesday and moved on to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

• The Bolts will now face the Carolina Hurricanes, who bested the Nashville Predators 4-3 last night to win the series in overtime of Game 6. The schedule for the second round will soon be announced.

Also, check out Coach Jon Cooper's dapper Game 6 suit. The best-dressed man in hockey, indeed.

• As we discovered for Wednesday's newsletter, his tailor is David Kahn at Tampa's Bespoke & Co.

🤑 Mayor Rick Kriseman is asking St. Petians how to spend the city's $45 million stimmy. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

🌊 The latest water samples from around Manatee County show levels of red-tide-causing algae are increasing in some areas. (Bradenton Herald)

🍽 David Benstock, owner and executive chef of the St. Pete Italian eatery Il Ritorno, beat veteran celebrity chef Bobby Flay on a Food Network cooking competition. (Bay News 9)

🎧 Tom Wilmer’s award-winning NPR podcast, "Journeys of Discovery," is airing a series focused on how cool Tampa is. (Listen.)

📊 A new poll shows U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist with a commanding lead over state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried if the Democratic primary were held now between the two. (Florida Politics)

We're not exactly sure why everyone is talking about actress Shailene Woodley right now, but we can't wait to get our hands on the game.

Let's see how she's tied to Tampa Bay:

1. Woodley and her new fiancé, Aaron Rodgers, just vacationed in Hawaii with ...
2. Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry. Teller is going to be in "Top Gun: Maverick" with ...
3. Manny Jacinto, who stars in "The Good Place" with ...
4. William Jackson Harper, who shares a birthday (Feb. 8) with ...
5. Cecily Strong, who played a character on "SNL" this season named ...
6. “Tampa Bay Jenae!" *

• * OK, yes, this is one of those offensive, low-blow shots at Tampa Bay, but we didn't say all these connections would be nice!

📬 Whose Tampa Bay connection do you want to see next? Try us. We're up for the challenge.

Some of the world's best wakeboarders are embarking on a Red Bull-fueled trip up Florida's Gulf Coast, from Sanibel to Clearwater, to exploit the region's best wakeboarding spots.

• This incredible shot is from their adventure last year in a South Florida loop.
• They promise to share more pics from places like the mangroves at Anna Maria Island. We can't wait.