School is almost back in session and those living in the Poinciana area will have a new college campus by the end of the month.

  • Valencia College opening Poinciana campus
  • Classes start Aug. 28
  • Scholarships available to full time students

Valencia College will open its Poinciana campus, with classes starting Aug. 28.

Jovan Fernandez-Mestre can’t wait to get started. “It was exciting,” he said.

Fernandez-Mestre wants to study American Sign Language interpretation to keep a promise that he made to his deaf mother.

“They told me they were putting a new campus in Poinciana. It was so much easier and closer to my house,” he said.

Dr. Kathleen Plinske, the president for the new Valencia Poinciana campus, said some of their students spend five to six hours on the bus just to get to class. But now college will be more accessible than ever.

“We noticed that high schools that were located in the Poinciana area had amongst the lowest college going rates in our region,” she explained. “And the reason for that is simply lack of access to higher education. So this campus will transform that.”

According to a Valencia spokesperson, the average college-going rate across the state is 52.1 percent. At Poinciana High, only 37 percent of graduates continue on to college. At Liberty High School, only 38.5 percent go to college.

The doors to the college may not be open just yet, but Valencia is offering scholarships of up to $1,500, as an incentive to students who sign up full time.

Because the campus is next to a conservation area, they’re making the facility environmentally-sustainable. For example, Valencia chose glazing for the windows to prevent bird strikes.

And metal screens are meant to keep the pathways cool without using additional energy.

Fernandez-Mestre is not only excited to be part of a brand new campus, but also hopes to make his mother proud.

“I will help out all the deaf people. I would enjoy and love my career helping out other people,” he said.

For students interested in starting at Valencia, the priority registration date is this Friday. Information on scholarships is available on the Valencia College website.