Valencia Stories



Branch Manager: Horticulture Graduate Turns Science into Success

As a pest control specialist who makes house calls daily, Jay Ramirez, 29, is no stranger to unhappy customers. People [...]


Making of a President: Valencia Grad’s Career as Bush Impersonator

By Linda Shrieves He’s got the same hair, the same squinty-eyed look, the same crooked grin and that unmistakable laugh. [...]


Winter 2018 Vitae Ready for Reading

This holiday season, Valencia College invites friends and family to take a break from the hustle and bustle to read [...]


In an Insecure World, Valencia Student Finds a Cybersecurity Niche

When Kacie Paulk signed up for a few classes at Valencia College, she wasn’t planning on a long-term relationship with [...]


Maritza Martinez: ‘A Degree is the Key to Opening So Many Doors’

Maritza Martinez may have sprinted through her MBA, but for UCF’s community relations director, the road to a bachelor’s degree [...]


Ashley Daniello: A Dream Reignited

Editor’s note: Through our submission page, we recently received an inspiring story from Valencia College graduate and employee Ashley Daniello. [...]


Displaced By Maria: The Cruz Family

For Puerto Rico, 2017 was a tumultuous year, and its student population was by no means immune to the hardship. [...]


Army Veteran Graduates from Paralegal Studies Program; Now Making Plans for Law School

When Vincent Wardynski was graduating from high school, he did what many family members thought was unthinkable – he joined the [...]


Exceptional Grad Beats Financial Adversity, Waltzes on to Next Stage

Starting college can be an intimidating experience, and when Laura Machuca Herrera traveled to the U.S. from her native Ecuador [...]


Success Story: Exceptional Grad Builds on Help From Foundation

In two action-packed years at Valencia College, international student Success Ekpenyong has made a name for himself as someone who [...]