Coming on the heels of a record-breaking spring 2024 semester, the new data reinforce the college’s continuing commitment to providing access to quality, affordable higher education, and workforce training to the residents of Orange and Osceola counties.

“We are proud of our enrollment, not just because it is our highest ever, but because it demonstrates that we are fulfilling our mission as an affordable and open-access college responding to growing demand for education and training in Central Florida,” said Dr. Kathleen Plinske, president of Valencia College.

Notably, the college also welcomed more first-generation college students than ever before. Of the 49,676 students taking credit classes in the fall semester, 25,176 reported that their parents did not attend college or did not graduate from college.

The latest enrollment data reflects an increase in new students as well as returning students. This fall, Valencia College welcomed 8,635 first-time-in-college students, up 4.4% from last fall.

One key factor contributing to the continued rise in enrollment is the Osceola Prosper program, a groundbreaking initiative made possible by the Osceola County Commission, and sprearheaded by District 3 Commissioner Brandon Arrington. Osceola Prosper provides tuition and fee coverage for all high school graduates in Osceola County, including those from public schools, charter schools, private schools, and homeschool programs, who choose to enroll at Valencia College or Osceola Technical College (oTECH).

Through Osceola Prosper, students can pursue an Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree, or complete a Valencia College Accelerated Skills Training or Technical Certificate program, with all tuition and fees fully covered until graduation. To qualify, students must enroll part-time or full-time by Spring 2025. Alternatively, students can opt to enroll in a program at Osceola Technical College (oTECH), benefiting from the same support.

This initiative is transforming opportunities for Osceola County graduates, making higher education and career training more accessible than ever.

In addition, the number of students returning to continue their studies jumped 7.2% over last fall — a measure of success and persistence.

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At Valencia College, particularly in Osceola County, there has been a noticeable increase in enrollment in various vocational and technical programs. This growth is driven by the demand for skilled workers in industries such as healthcare, information technology, and advanced manufacturing. Students are increasingly turning to these programs to gain specialized skills that align with the needs of the job market.

Osceola Technical College (oTECH) is also seeing a similar trend, with more students enrolling in trade programs such as welding, automotive technology, and electrical technology. These programs offer hands-on training and certifications that make graduates highly employable in well-paying jobs.

One of the factors contributing to this rise in enrollment at Valencia College in Osceola County is the Osceola Prosper initiative. Osceola Prosper is a visionary program that provides no-cost tuition to Osceola County high school graduates who choose to attend Valencia College or Osceola Technical College. This program was envisioned and presented to the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners by District 3 Commissioner Brandon Arrington. The initiative has made post-secondary education more accessible to local students, removing financial barriers and encouraging them to pursue education in high-demand fields.

Since the launch of Osceola Prosper, there has been a significant uptick in enrollment numbers at both Valencia College and oTECH. For instance, Valencia College has reported a 15% increase in enrollment in its technical and vocational programs since the program’s inception. Similarly, Osceola Technical College has seen a 12% rise in enrollment in its trade programs.

Students and parents interested in learning more about the opportunities provided by Osceola Prosper can visit the program’s website or contact their school counselors for detailed information on eligibility and application processes. This initiative continues to play a crucial role in empowering Osceola County’s youth to pursue career-focused education, ultimately contributing to the local economy by filling critical skill gaps.

For more information on Osceola Prosper and how to apply, visit OsceolaProsper.com or contact the Osceola County School District’s guidance office.

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In her senior year of high school, Nyauni Crowelle could already envision life in college – where she hoped to play basketball.

But when she got rejected from 18 colleges and universities – and accepted by two out-of-state universities that would require her to take out substantial student loans – Nyauni was forced to take a step back and re-evaluate her college plans and her college dreams.

Today, after much soul-searching and exploration, she’s in a better place. Graduating from Valencia College this semester, she’s been selected as Valencia College’s Mary S. Collier Distinguished Graduate for 2024.

But three years ago, Nyauni could never have pictured herself in this spot.

Playing college basketball had been her dream for many years, but when the college offers came in, they were all from Division 2 and Division 3 schools, and offered her partial scholarships that did not match the cost of tuition.

“As a high school athlete, I thought that was going to be my gateway to college for free,” she says.

Complicating matters for Nyauni was her family’s new financial reality. Because of an extreme change in family circumstances and the loss of one income, Nyauni needed to assume more roles, helping pay the household bills and caring for her little sister. So Nyauni decided to take a gap year and earn money. Working as a medical scribe during the week, she logged everything that happened in a local emergency room. On the weekends, she bagged groceries at Publix, and she also worked as a remote product development specialist with an education technology startup to solve information inequity issues.

“There was a lot of anxiety,” she recalls. Yet, looking back, she can see the lessons those experiences taught her. “I want other people to see that I made it through,” Nyauni says. “In life, you have to jump over hurdles, obstacles, but you have to keep going.”

She also did a lot of introspection.

“I took the gap year to ensure that I had something to bring to the table. I needed the time to work on myself,” she says. “I had to deal with the reality that no school that I wanted to be at wanted me…This was a redemption journey for myself.”

So, nearly a year after graduating from high school, Nyauni began looking at college through a different lens. Although she’d never seriously considered Valencia College or other community colleges, she began to reevaluate her options.

“Valencia was always on the back burner. I think I really bought into the misconception about community colleges,” she recalls. “At first, I couldn’t envision myself at a community college. I wasn’t sure I would be able to execute all of my goals, based on what was offered in terms of academia and extracurriculars.”

But Valencia’s ads and postcards kept coming – and one really intrigued her. Valencia’s Seneff Honors College promised small classes with challenging classwork. That, along with the promise of free tuition for Honors College members, sold Nyauni.

At Valencia College, Nyauni took all her classes online – working remotely from her home in Clermont. The closest campus was nearly an hour’s drive from her home and she needed to be home to take care of her little sister, so online classes made the most sense.

Luckily, the Seneff Honors College provided her with the chance to meet other students – both online and in person.  She served as president of the Honors Student Advisory Committee to plan networking events and mentored high school students through Valencia’s Horizon Scholars program.

But for Nyauni, who’s really a people person, the highlight of her Valencia career came when she got to attend national honors conferences – and meet honors students from many states.

For Nyauni, whose family moved frequently during her childhood, the opportunity to travel and make new friends was invaluable. It also harkened back to the year she spent in Germany as a U.S. State Department youth ambassador, when she was 15 years old.

“I never attended the same school for more than two years,” says Nyauni. But that constantly changing scenery gave her a valuable outlook on friendship. “Some people are in your life for a season and some people are in your life for a lifetime.”

At her first honors conference in Dallas, Nyauni was thrilled to meet her honors advisor and one of her professors for the first time in person.

“I loved it,” she says. “It was extremely eye-opening and exciting to be around other honors students. I witnessed people sharing their research, connecting with one another, and talking about important subjects to change the honors landscape.”

Since then, she’s attended a state and regional honors conference – and traveled with Valencia’s honors students to a week-long study abroad trip in the Netherlands. There, one of her goals was to play basketball with the Dutch students – because she knows that sports can help transcend cultural differences. And, indeed, on the court outside the lodge where they were staying, she and a dozen other students from Valencia and the Netherlands shot hoops for hours.

Because she wants to pursue a career in sports science, Nyauni applied to and landed a spot in the Summer Health Professions Education Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she and 79 other college students from around the country learned about health careers. She has also conducted undergraduate research on public health issues.

Now she has her eyes on her next step. After graduating from Valencia College, she’ll transfer to UCF’s Burnett Honors College, where she plans to major in kinesiology and minor in sports business.

“I want to do something that I’m passionate about and I want to drive impact,” says Nyauni.

She will be moving on campus this fall and she can’t wait.

“I’m super giddy about building my network with students face-to-face and taking my goals in volunteerism and professional development to the next stage,” she says.

Source: Valencia College

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According to the Florida Department of Education, 63% of Osceola County high school graduates in 2022 enrolled in college, technical schools, or other post-secondary institutions within Florida one year after graduation. This represents a significant increase from the 47.3% in 2019-20 and 48.1% in 2020-21 enrollments

Osceola County historically has had the lowest college-going rate in Central Florida.  However, for the first time, Osceola County’s college-going rate (63%) has surpassed the state average (54%), as well as that of Orange County (which ranks 11th at 57%), and Seminole County (which ranks 9th at 59%).

County and local education officials attribute the increase to the county’s Osceola Prosper scholarship program. In 2022, Osceola County commissioners voted to use the county’s federal pandemic recovery funds to guarantee that every high school graduate in the county could attend Valencia College or Osceola Technical College for free.

The county commission launched Osceola Prosper after the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the local economy. In Osceola County, the unemployment rate hovered around 30% – among the highest in the state – and many other residents faced reduced work hours and incomes.

“Osceola Prosper is proof of the County Commission’s commitment to ensure our community’s economic vitality, so that future generations have many career paths available,” said Osceola County Commission Chair Cheryl Grieb. “This initiative is about empowering our young people – the bedrock of our future – with the opportunity to achieve their dreams.” 

“This shows the power of a community coming together around a common goal and committing to partnership and collaboration,” said Kathleen Plinske, president of Valencia College. “Osceola County has been working on increasing access to education for more than a decade, and I am so proud what has been made possible for our youth.  This, in turn, is an investment in our community’s future.”

“I’m immensely proud to witness the tremendous increase in our college-going rate. This achievement speaks volumes about the dedication of our students and parents, the support and guidance given by our teachers and staff, and the incredible collaboration with the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners for Osceola Prosper and Valencia College,” said Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff.  “It reflects our collective commitment to preparing our youth for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. This milestone not only transforms individual lives but also strengthens the fabric of Osceola County, driving progress and prosperity for generations to come.”

Plinske, school district leaders and community members began turning their attention to the county’s college-going rate in 2013, when they launched “Got College?” – a multi-pronged effort to improve access to college for Osceola County residents.

The “Got College?” initiative set out to increase the county’s college-going rate, which in 2010 ranked 61st out of 67 counties in the state. According to the Florida Department of Education’s High School Feedback report, which tracks the college-going rate across the state’s 67 counties, the percentage of Osceola County high school graduates who enrolled in college increased from 40% in 2010 to 48.6% in 2015, moving Osceola County up to 27th in the state.

Osceola Prosper has built upon the gains made by “Got College?” to reach this milestone for the community, Plinske said.

“I am extraordinarily grateful to our Osceola County Commissioners for their visionary leadership and willingness to invest in Osceola Prosper, a program that is truly the only one of its kind,” Plinske said. “It is a powerful strategic investment in economic development that will attract employers and industry looking to find skilled talent – the results are already clearly starting to pay off.”

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Whether you’re into painting, acting, or dancing, there’s a spot just for you!

Designed for kids aged 8-13, these camps provide a unique blend of learning and fun in a top-notch facility that sparks creativity. Each session concludes with a dazzling showcase, where students display their newfound skills. Witness the remarkable transformation and celebrate the achievements of these young talents.

Ready to unleash your child’s potential? Visit OsceolaArts.org to register and discover more about this summer’s most inspiring adventure

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“Here at the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, we recently were able to offer navigated hip replacement as well as confirmation of the hip with artificial intelligence-aided X-ray. This technology provides immediate feedback in the operating room about whether the surgeon hit the target, allowing us unprecedented accuracy and efficiency during surgery,” said Dr. George Haidukewych, director of orthopedic trauma, chief of complex joint replacement, and academic chairman at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. “It’s really beautiful technology, it’s an exciting day for me.”

Some of the most common reasons for dissatisfaction with a hip replacement include getting the leg lengths wrong, and poor biomechanics resulting in reduced range of motion. These are all issues which are prevented by the simulation modeling allowing Orlando Health orthopedic surgeons to put the hip replacement in with accuracy to the degree and to the millimeter that is appropriate for the individual patient, then applying artificial intelligence to the X-rays taken in the operating room to confirm the placement. This also reduces the amount of time the patient is under anesthesia.

Dr. Haidukewych specializes in total hip and total knee replacements as well as orthopedic trauma. Patients seek out his expertise after experiencing failed and infected total hip and total knee replacements at other medical facilities, and in reconstruction of the joints after trauma.

In 2017, Dr. Haidukewych was inducted into the International Hip Society, an exclusive association of joint surgeons from all over the globe that have demonstrated excellence in hip surgery. The society is comprised of top surgeons from various countries who specialize in hip replacement surgery. Members convene multiple times throughout the year to discuss difficult cases and share best practices. New members must be voted in by current society members. He is also an award-winning researcher, published more than 100 peer reviewed studies and book chapters and has presented hundreds of educational lectures on trauma and hip and knee replacement. Dr. Haidukewych holds several patents and developed multiple innovative implants for fracture fixation and joint replacement.

Total hip and knee replacement has changed since his early career, when only manual confirmation of implant placement was available. “Today,” says Dr. Haidukewych, “we do pre-operative planning to make the hip very specific to patients’ activities, such as yoga or golf. So we use computer simulation to tell us where to put the hip. Then we use computer-aided navigation to hit our target to the degree. Now, using artificial intelligence in our X-rays, we can get millimeter-specific details on how the surgeon restored the patient’s anatomy and get their leg lengths just right. This level of precision has never been available until now,” said Dr. Haidukewych.

Patient care is the first priority at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. With this new technology, patients can undergo hip replacement surgery in the morning and be home before lunchtime.

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Kyle Scharfenberg has known what he wanted to be for years; he just didn’t know how he was going to make it happen.

The Poinciana High School graduate already had a history in carpentry and a love of welding, so after high school, he didn’t want to waste any time beginning his training for his dream career. Thanks to the Osceola Prosper program, he is already in the driver’s seat to his future.

The son and grandson of carpenters, Scharfenberg was always interested in skilled trades. His interest in welding began when one of Valencia’s first welding instructors visited Scharfenberg’s middle school. “I was walking around and there was a welding booth for Valencia. My father knew the instructor from Disney, so they started talking and then I was invited to weld,” Scharfenberg said. “The instructor was surprised I could weld so well for my first time. That sparked my interest.”

That spark turned into a flame before he even began the Accelerated Skills Training program. “I’ve done a little bit of short-circuit mig (welding),” says Scharfenberg. “I actually taught a course in the Boy Scouts. The instructor sadly passed away two weeks before the program was to start, and I was supposed to be helping him out.”

Scharfenberg, 17 at the time, was asked if he could teach the class and he jumped at the opportunity. “I taught the kids some of the basics of how to weld.”

Scharfenberg earned six nationally recognized certifications and was named the student speaker at the department’s manufacturing programs graduation.

Now, Scharfenberg is chasing his dreams. While he was taking classes in the 28-week welding program, he was also taking classes so he can earn an Associate in Science degree in Supervision and Management for Industry. Those classes are paid for by Osceola Prosper, a scholarship program funded by Osceola County which guarantees that every Osceola County high school graduate of the class of 2022 and 2023 will receive a full scholarship for a two-year degree at Valencia College, or short-term training at Valencia College or Osceola Technical College (oTech).

While juggling his classes, Scharfenberg also works part time at Publix. If not for Osceola Prosper, he would have had to work full-time – and that, he says, would have delayed the launch of his career.

“If funding wasn’t available, I would have worked as many hours as I could to save up and put money toward this program. Right now, I work Friday through Sunday and I pick up shifts throughout the week when I can. I still have to pay for gas, food and bills so all of that money I’m earning goes straight to that.”

Thanks to the grants and scholarships that have enabled him to take both a degree program and the welding class simultaneously, Scharfenberg is focused on learning and taking advantage of the opportunity. The welding course has also allowed him to explore his creative side, as he worked on a bike rack designed by an Osceola County high school student. That bike rack has been installed on the St. Cloud waterfront and, at the dedication, Kyle made a speech in front of county officials.

“I did most of the fabrication for that bike rack, including the frog sitting on a little flower. I also built an orchid (out of metal) for my girlfriend’s mom,” he said.

Scharfenberg enjoyed showing off his artistic side in the welding program, and created a flower for his girlfriend’s mom.

Everything is falling into place for Scharfenberg, whose goals are coming into focus and the guidance he has received from the welding program instructors is a big reason why.

“I was very happy to have Juan Ayala, Tyson Goodwin and Danny Nunez here. They all taught me stuff that I really needed to learn, even self-motivation. I was a bad student in high school and middle school; test taking was not my strong suit. They taught me that I have to strive for this. Someone is paying for me to go here, so use the money wisely and go all in,” Scharfenberg said. “You have a lot of structure here. There are also a lot of people setting up tours of businesses and helping us find jobs, they give references and guide you even after this program ends. Juan and the other instructors stay in touch with their students and that is really beneficial.”

Today, Scharfenberg’s future is taking shape. He has graduated from the welding program and was named the manufacturing graduation student speaker. Scharfenberg also became the first welding student to earn six nationally recognized certifications. That included the 6G pipe certification, which is not only the toughest to pass, but isn’t typically included in the welding technology program curriculum. He is continuing his education at Valencia College as he works toward his A.S. degree, but he is also excited to begin his career in welding.

The passion was always there and now the opportunity is too, thanks to Osceola Prosper and he is taking more than knowledge away from it all.

“This program has taught me is self-motivation, self-pride and to get your butt in gear.”

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