Students and Alumni featured in Valencia’s “50 Years of Better Tomorrows” video
2017 marks the 50th year Valencia College has offered affordable higher education to an increasingly diverse student body. At Valencia, we welcome everyone: from recent high school grads, to adults taking long-awaited opportunities, to professionals making an inspired career change.
When we decided to create a 50th anniversary video to celebrate Valencia College’s impact on the community, we felt it would be better to use the real students and alumni who make a genuine impact every day. After all, they are the true testament to Valencia’s longstanding tradition of nurturing minds while developing workforces for fast-growing industries.
Read on to learn more about the specific impact each of our “actors” brings to the community, and how they all found their “better tomorrow” here at Valencia.
Rich Crotty, Class of ‘70
Rich Crotty began his academic career as a charter member of Valencia Junior College, receiving a degree in 1970 and transferring to Florida Technical University (now University of Central Florida). Working in blue-collar jobs on delivery trucks and the assembly line of Martin Marietta to pay his way through college, Crotty started a consulting firm to improve the efficiency of municipal service systems.
At age 30, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, and would go on to serve in the Florida Senate, where he sponsored a number of bills that brought positive change to Florida’s education system. Crotty’s most significant legislative push created the Florida Prepaid College Tuition program, giving many families the hope of an affordable college education.
In his final stint in public office, Crotty served as Orange County’s mayor from 2001–2011.
Trina Gregory-Propst, Class of ’12 & ‘13
A graduate of Valencia’s Hospitality and Culinary School, Trina Gregory-Propst is the responsible for the lines often spilling out of the door of her sweet and savory bake shop on Primrose Drive. After working as a nail technician and massage therapist for 17 years, Trina decided to make some career and lifestyle changes.
With a new diet that only allowed for seven bites of food at each meal, she wondered how she could make the most of each bite. Aspirations of realizing that dream led her to the professional culinary world. Today, she holds associate degrees in culinary management, baking and pastry management, and restaurant management from Valencia. Her restaurant, Se7en Bites, recently moved into a larger location to accommodate growing popularity.
Angel Sanchez, Class of ’14
After spending much of his youth tied up in the legal system, Angel Sanchez began his career at Valencia as a homeless student, spending hours on public transit every day traveling to and from campus. In spite of the overwhelming odds against him, Sanchez excelled, graduating with a 4.0 in 2014. He was named Valencia’s Distinguished Graduate that year.
Currently, he is a Jack Kent Cooke scholar and honors student at UCF. With aspirations to attend a top law school in the nation, Angel Sanchez participates in UCF’s Moot Court program, where students practice arguing both sides of mock federal court and appellate court cases. Sanchez ranked 5th in oration at the 2016 National Collegiate Moot Court tournament.
He plans to pursue a career in juvenile justice reform in an effort to reduce recidivism and the number of youth tried as adults.
Emmy Torres, Class of ‘16
As a teen, Emmy Torres dropped out of high school to take care of her newborn child. After her son grew up and graduated high school, he made his mother promise that she would attend college with him. Torres kept the promise to her son — and then some.
While earning her associate in arts degree, she served as vice president of the Osceola Campus Student Government Association, helping to organize the Hispanic Heritage Festival, and raising more than $6,000 for non-traditional student scholarships.
After becoming Valencia’s Distinguished Graduate in May 2016, she transferred to Rollins where she now studies international business with a minor in sociology. She hopes to someday earn her master’s degree, and continue her work of aiding international students in the quest for affordable higher education.
Originally from Venezuela, Victor Avila moved to the Orlando area eight years ago. Introduced to the Bridges to Success Program, he gratefully took the scholarship associated with the enrollment initiative.
Balancing school and life, Avila works in the real estate industry and has created a social-media marketing company. Avila plans to graduate next year with an A.S. in business and marketing.
Keyanna Fountain, Class of ’12 & ‘16
Keyanna Fountain graduated from Valencia with an Associate of Arts degree in July 2012 and then transferred to the University of Central Florida, receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration in August 2014. After working in the school system and local government, she sought a career change. So, in 2016, she enrolled in Valencia’s new Advanced Manufacturing Training Center, with hopes of getting job at Lockheed Martin.
She interviewed with Lockheed before she completed her classes at Valencia and now works as an assembler at Lockheed Martin.
“Valencia has made my dream come true,” says Fountain. “In the future I would like to become one of the engineers here at Lockheed.”
Peggy Robles, Class of ‘15
Peggy Robles’ mother worked for the Orlando Fire Department for 32 years as the head of Public Education. Carrying on the firefighting legacy in her family, Peggy went to Valencia and completed the college’s Firefighter Minimum Standards program in 2015. Now she is a firefighter/EMT for Ocoee Fire Department, as well as a lieutenant for the Montverde Fire Department, an all- volunteer fire department.
“The instructors at Valencia are the best group of men and women that any firefighter could ever learn from and it’s because of their guidance and mentoring that I am the firefighter I am today,” she says.
In August, Robles will start training to become a paramedic. And as the Ocoee Fire Department grows, she hopes to rise through the ranks. Education, however, remains her driving force. Robles hopes to continue her medical education and someday become a pediatric oncology dietitian, ensuring that children receive proper nutrition while battling cancer.
Reggie Warren, Class of ’18
A Florida native, Reggie Warren always excelled in school — and even graduated from Osceola High School a semester early in 2014. When he searched for colleges, he discovered that Valencia — which was near his home in Poinciana — had been named the best community college in the country, so he opted to stay in Central Florida. He initially planned to major in political science and teach at the high school level.
But when he started shadowing different grade levels, as a member of the first class of Valencia’s Future Teachers Academy, Warren discovered that he really wanted to teach fifth grade. So today, he’s working on a double major: political science and elementary education.
He plans to transfer to UCF and earn his bachelor’s degree in both political science and education.
“That way, I can teach any grade level as a social studies teacher,” says Warren. “I plan to get my master’s in educational leadership and, hopefully, my Ph.D. My goal is to open an international school system for k-12 to teach children to be good international citizens.”
Visit our 50th Anniversary homepage to see how we’re celebrating #50YearsofBetterTomorrows. View photos from across the decades, and get in the #Valencia50th spirit by sharing our history with your friends.
