At Valencia College, we want every student to pursue their dreams – and, in times of emergency, we do our best to lend a hand.
So when Claire Cruz, a nursing student, was nearing the end of her first year, her hopes and plans for the future were dashed when a fire burned her house to the ground.
Claire had been prepping for finals, but suddenly was without clothes, a laptop, books – or even a toothbrush.
She emailed one of her professors, Erika Bernard, to say she’d likely have to withdraw from the program.
“I felt bad – not sorry for myself – but that I’d taken a spot in a very competitive program and now I was quitting,” Claire says.
Professor Bernard wondered how the college could help – and keep Claire from dropping out. So she emailed the college president, Dr. Kathleen Plinske. Plinske was on vacation at the time, but deputized two colleagues – Dr. Mike Bosley, provost of workforce programs, and Mona Liza Colon, manager of the Valencia College campus stores – to help keep Claire in school.
They jumped into action and secured for Claire replacement textbooks, a new laptop, and a new nursing uniform, which Bosley delivered to her personally. The student-run Valencia Nursing Student Association gave Claire gift cards so she could buy herself and her daughters toiletries and other essentials they’d lost.
“It was really a great team effort,” recalled Bosley. “Within two days, we were able to do all of that. I picked it up from the bookstore and we went and delivered it to her classroom — and her class was so supportive. It was really a community effort.”
“At first I was kind of embarrassed,” Claire said. “I didn’t want to get that much attention. I’m sure there’s other people who deserve it.”
But insurance takes months to work through – and the support of the college community helped Claire navigate a difficult time. “It felt good, to know that other people were there and cared,” she said. “It just made the burden a lot lighter,”
Claire’s classmates rallied around her to help her prepare for the blistering finals rapidly approaching.
“We were in the library and they were literally teaching me. I’m 45 and they’re 19 and 20 years old. They were very sweet,” she said. “Their determination to help me was overwhelming. I couldn’t quit because here were these kids, in their 20s, helping me push through. If they tried this hard for me, why wouldn’t I?”
In May 2025, Claire graduated with her A.S. degree in nursing – and paused to take a selfie with Dr. Plinske.
After graduation, Claire sent a heartfelt note to her professors and Plinske. Here’s an excerpt:
“I truly couldn’t have done this without Valencia. It has been more than a school—it has been a source of inspiration, resilience, and healing. I am going to be one of the best nurses I can be—not only because my patients deserve that, but because Valencia taught me what it means to care, to persevere, and to lead with heart.”