In its June issue, the Community Paper of Orlando interviewed graduates from area colleges and universities, including two recent graduates:
- Angelia Ramsay McKay, who was the oldest graduate at the college’s May 2026 commencement. Angelia earned an Associate of Science in Nursing from Valencia College in 1995 and planned to transfer to UCF to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. But after her daughter Amber was born prematurely, Angelia stopped taking classes and focused her attention on her daughter. Angelia returned to Valencia to finish what she started so many years ago. Today, Angelia’s daughter is also a nurse, and Angelia hopes to be an inspiration to her daughter.
- Carter Aide discovered a passion for cooking in high school, working at local restaurants and gradually worked his way into the kitchen. He loved it, but when he enrolled in Valencia College’s culinary program, he discovered a new world. There, he was taught by masters of their craft, learning first-hand about baking bread, the science behind classical meals, and the art of juggling the many stations in a restaurant kitchen. Now he’s headed to a post-graduate culinary program in Japan, to learn Japanese cooking. And that, he hopes, will be just the start of his culinary journey.
Read more about their stories and advice for other students in the June issue of the Community Paper.