Orlando, FL – On Saturday, May 9, more than 1,300 Valencia students will receive their associate degrees when Valencia College holds its 46th spring commencement at the University of Central Florida’s CFE Arena.
This is the first time that Valencia’s commencement ceremonies have been held at UCF.
This year’s commencement address will be given by 20-year-old Rebecca Nash, who was named the Mary Smedley Collier Distinguished Graduate by the Valencia Alumni Association.
Nash, who dropped out of high school at age 17 to help support her family, is now a member of Valencia’s Seneff Honors College and will graduate with a 4.0 grade point average. Based on her extensive study of genocide and gendercide at Valencia, she has been granted permission to skip the final two years of undergraduate education and enter graduate school in the fall at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Although about 1,300 students are participating in commencement ceremonies, 8,148 students were awarded degrees within the past year. Valencia holds one commencement ceremony each year. Since Valencia opened in 1967, the college has awarded 128,178 degrees.
In addition to associate degrees, 32 students have earned their bachelor’s degrees in the past year; 23 will participate in the May 9 ceremony. Valencia College began offering bachelor’s degrees in 2011 and currently offers bachelor’s degrees in three programs: electrical and computer engineering technology; radiologic and imaging sciences; and cardiopulmonary sciences.
Valencia’s commencement exercises will take place at 7 p.m. The processional is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m.
Video of the entire ceremony will be available by May 18 at www.valenciacollege.edu/graduation.
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