Valencia College Stories

Melodie Cros arrived at Valencia College interested in sound production. Little did she know that her journey at Valencia would lead her to a career in electrical engineering – and a master’s degree from Cornell University.

Discouraged after moving to Florida, Paola Santini wasn't sure she even wanted to go to college. But at Valencia College's Summer STEM Institute, she found her passion. 

At age 14, Gracie Sous is one of Valencia College's youngest graduates. She started classes at Valencia at age 13, and was shocked that no one commented on her age or height --though she's only 4-feet-10 inches tall. Now, she's headed to UCF and plans to attend medical school when she's 17 years old.

Like the two aptly named Mars exploration rovers that inspired his boyhood love of space, Eduardo Bidot’s future path has been shaped through Spirit and Opportunity. From struggling with ADD and dropping out of school, to finding his passion and landing an incredible four NASA internships, Eduardo’s future career is ready for blast-off. 

David Greene was always interested in science, but when he graduated from high school, his chaotic home life led him to short-circuit those dreams and instead become a licensed practical nurse. Now, after working in hospice care for a decade, Greene has earned his degree from Valencia College and is eyeing a different goal: to become a doctor. 

Counselors told Faith-Christina Duncan's family that it might take her years to finish high school and she'd never graduate from college. They didn't know how much spunk and spark Faith-Christina had.

After excelling in high school, Hannah Wooten stumbled in her first attempt at college. But when she transferred to Valencia College, she got the chance to start over – and along the way, she discovered her passion and her future career.  

Decades after she was told she wasn't college material, Carolyn Harding decided to prove her doubters wrong and earns associate degree at 60 years old.

Valencia College celebrates 200,000th alumnus — and how she overcame obstacles in her path.

Valencia College grad Christina Diaz followed her mom's footsteps as a fire inspector; today, she's a fire marshal in Seminole County.

Reina Castellanos wasn't sure what she wanted to do when she graduated from high school. But Valencia's graphic design program sparked her interest -- and she went on to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees in fine arts. In 2021, her work caught the attention of Target and her designs were featured during the store's national Hispanic Heritage Month campaign.

A teen mom, Emmy Torres dropped out of high school in her senior year. When her son stumbled in high school, she vowed to finish her diploma with him. She then marched to Valencia College – and is now working on her master's degree.

College seemed out of reach for Nikolai Wolfe until a postcard about Valencia's Honors College arrived in the mailbox. Today, this Valencia grad is studying at prestigious Williams College.

Sheina Senat enrolled at Valencia so she could study at her own pace. Although she wants to be a cardiologist, she also became a college quiz bowl champion.