I was born and raised in Ocala and before going into the service. I didn’t take academics seriously at all. I was a knucklehead, didn’t get the best of grades and was getting into trouble. Then, obviously, the military changed everything. Now I’m here at Santa Fe College. When I came here I started working … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Colby Ross →

I’m gay, I’m Latino, I’m Jewish and I’m an immigrant so that makes me a part of a lot of minorities, and I feel proud. People here at Santa Fe College accept me for who I am. That’s important for me because I accept other people for who they are. I heard some friends in … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Jaime Truzman →

As a child, my mom graduated from nursing school here at Santa Fe while I went to the Little School. The Little School was actually the last place where I received a diploma and walked. [See pic in comments.] At the end of my 8th grade year, we found out my mom had breast cancer. … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Jared Folds →

I moved here my junior year of high school because my father passed away and my mom was absent around the same time. I just didn’t have anywhere to go. So I moved here with my boyfriend because he had somewhere to stay here. I like to work with the Earth. I feel connected to … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Kat Serino →

One of my favorite parts of working in Student Life is helping with graduation. Every department on campus contributes in some way, and we spend the entire week transforming the gym into a warm and intimate ceremony space. We have a lot of fun behind the scenes, but we take our responsibilities seriously because we … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Sarah Blanc →

Coming here rejuvenated me. I’ve grown a lot as a player, and outside of the court, too. Santa Fe College has helped, especially the coaching staff and how they’ve pushed me. Going into my sophomore year I had a much bigger role on the team and it helped me grow as a leader. I feel … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Admir Besovic →

Eleanor: The phenomenon of the Spring Arts Festival for me was that a whole new world opened up. We’ve created a mutually beneficial environment for creators of art and lovers of art. There a lot of people who would never go to a gallery that will come to the festival. What it’s done over the … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Eleanor Blair and Steve Howell →

Johnny Wiggs, Saint of Santa Fe College for March 25, 2019.I knew baseball was going to be my sport and my ticket. I didn’t dream about a bachelor’s and master’s degree. I always say, I couldn’t spell master’s degree; I sure didn’t want one. That’s my joke to recruits, but the punch line is: Baseball … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Johnny Wiggs →

I’m the first one from my family to study something after high school. My dad graduated high school, but I graduated high school and finished a program at college. I never expected to receive a scholarship for a construction program at Santa Fe. But when I did, I said, ‘Wow, okay. Now I know what … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Chacity Battles →

I’ve always wanted to be a basketball coach, so I took a look at what I was passionate about, and that’s basketball and psychology. The blog is kind of what the world needs right now. Psychology is an underdeveloped part of the game. But it’s important. When you miss a shot, you can’t get down … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Julie Fournier →

My dad was the first person in his family to graduate high school, and he went on and became a dentist. He always explained to my three brothers and me how it made a big difference in his life; just by going to school changed his life. Nobody in his family had ever even graduated … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Chad Caswell →

Representation matters. As a queer person of color I feel like my presence is so necessary, especially for students who look like me. Since coming to Santa Fe, I’ve fallen into my purpose. I’m very passionate about serving underrepresented students, serving as a mentor and advocate for underrepresented students. That’s what I’m here for: to … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Clarinda Choice →

I’m a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) at one-and-a-half-years-old. For six years, on and off, I had chemotherapy and three relapses. I had my bone marrow transplant on December 22, 2006, so as of this year, it’s been about 13 years in remission, give or take. You have to make … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Joshua Ibarrientos →

I love Santa Fe College. Why do I love it so much? Because I am a product of Santa Fe College. The way I arrived was on the way less traveled. You see, I’m a product of the segregation era. When I was a born a little girl 80 years ago in a little town … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Vivian Filer →

One day I want to write policy papers, to write policy that actually makes a difference. I’m originally from Ethiopia—from the capital, Addis Ababa—so I was already interested in international development. But then I studied abroad in China. Seeing the country was eye-opening and an incredibly transformative experience. The whole reason I’m interested in poverty … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Amha Tesfaye →

We had a business in Miami for 10 years, but it went into bankruptcy. I decided to go back to school to get my degree and get a better job. If I could not own my own business, I had to do something better for me and my family. My daughter and son came to … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Jenny Guardado →

Considering a Santa Fe College utopia is similar to the question: Can we wave a magic fairy wand and create the future we want to create? If we could do that, that future would mean that each individual who walks through our doors or lives in our community, who lives in our society, and in … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Cheryl Calhoun →

Humans have always searched for answers to the things in nature we encounter every day. We’ve asked questions like ‘What are the stars?’ or ‘How does the universe work?’ or ‘How did everything begin?’ and, ultimately, ‘What is our role in all of this?’ I’ve always liked the phrase ‘Keep looking up!’ because, in its … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – James Albury →

Before I came here, I worked at Amazon and Bass Pro. That’s when I started my current career path. I’ve been able to see both sides of the coin: what happens when you apply yourself versus what happens when you get complacent and don’t apply yourself. I learned that if I want anything in life, … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Derrick Evans →

My drama teacher in high school told me I wasn’t talented enough to have a career in theater, to be an actor. ‘Don’t waste your time doing that.’ That’s what she told me. And I kind of believed her, so I figured out what else I was good at. I moved to D.C. at age … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Reji Woods →

I grew up in an orphanage in Ukraine. I’ve seen a lot of different stories and different lives that kids have had. Most of the time, kids were taken away from their parents due to neglect or abuse. I want to pursue criminal justice to prevent these experiences for kids by helping to change the … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Natasha Prior →