I don’t think people should have to be in the minimum wage market. We have an opportunity for everyone, from the lowest socio-economic bracket. I’ll go anywhere and talk about Santa Fe because I want to get the word out.…
Category: Saints of Santa Fe (page 5)
Saints of Santa Fe College – Asley Pollas
My skin is beautiful, my mind is beautiful, my soul, in a sense, is beautiful. Being involved in My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) allowed me to see the good in me when I didn’t see the good in myself. – Asley…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Jorge Ibáñez
My brother always told me, forget about being good. Just paint. When you drop your inhibitions and fears, and you just go for it, you have nothing to lose. Things start coming together. I wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Rhonda Morris
I read a study that suggested an oral roll call at the start of class had a tremendous impact in student completion and success rates. I thought, ‘That’s crazy!’ I didn’t believe it at first. But I tried it out…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Jose Torres-Soldevila, Angelo Torres-Soldevila
Jose: The Smash Brothers was something we always called ourselves. With obstacles or barriers in life, it’s our reminder to just smash through it. In Camden, NJ—that’s known for violence, crime, homicides—we saw our family struggling to make ends meet.…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Mary Gandy-Rochelle
I don’t know about anybody else, but Santa Fe has been a rock for me. I went from babies to grown babies. I started with the daycare, at the Little School, and for the life of me, I never thought…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Reese Domond
When I was born, it was determined I had cardiomyopathy and was going to need a new heart. The doctor said, ‘He’s dying. We’re losing him.’ My mom had a choice: They could send me somewhere else for treatment, let…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Alejandro Puga
I love Santa Fe College because it has an open door policy. Yo amo a Santa Fe College porque tiene una puerta abierta por todo el mundo. – Alejandro Puga, A.A. Political Science, Student Body President #SaintsOfSantaFeCollege #WeAreAllSaints
Saints of Santa Fe College – Joudi Ayroud
Before Santa Fe College, my life was hard. It wasn’t an easy journey for me. I left Syria before the war started, but it will forever have a piece of my heart. The majority of my family is all over…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Guillermo
The year 2016—that was a strange one. That’s when my injury happened, at my annual National Guard training in Camp Blanding, FL. I was immediately sent to Ft. Stewart, GA to a medical recovery unit, where I met Major Carlos…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Leon
You meet a lot of different people from all walks of life here. And some people are friendly, and some people are just not as friendly. I won’t say they’re not friendly; just not as friendly. But, you know, I…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Geena Cesar
I graduated from Santa Fe College in 2012. I stayed working here because Santa Fe College truly helped me in my career path. I just graduated from the UF Levin College of Law, and as I was studying for the…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Marc Cauchon
January 1, 2017 – When Dr. Marc Cauchon arrived in Gainesville in 1981 too late to enroll at UF, he decided to take classes at Santa Fe College so as not to waste a term, and ended up staying to…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Sue Jester
January 1, 2017 – Sue Jester is a retired Santa Fe College art instructor who taught for 32 years at SF. Sue’s connection with SF ties into the student side, too. She took many courses during her tenure at SF,…
Saints of Santa Fe College – DeeDee Smith
January 1, 2017 – DeeDee Smith has always had an extensive involvement in community activities. She served as president of the Alachua Chamber of Commerce in 1982, while she was active in the real estate profession and earning her A.A.…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Sandra Torres-Pintos
October 1, 2016 – After retiring from the United States Marine Corps in 2006, Sandra Torres-Pintos moved to Gainesville. She knew she could use her G.I. Bill benefits to get a bachelor’s degree, but would need to take prerequisite classes…
Saints of Santa Fe College – John Millet
October 1, 2016 – “I moved from Tampa to go to Santa Fe College because it has one of the best nuclear medicine programs in the country,” said John Millet, 1997 graduate of SF’s nuclear medicine technology (NMT) program. “I needed…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Ralph Cameron
July 1, 2016 – Ralph Cameron is a fourth-generation Gainesville native and a 1971 graduate of Gainesville High School. In 1976, Ralph graduated from SF’s first building construction class. To this day he proudly displays his SF diploma in his home office.…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Craig Fugate
July 1, 2016 – In May 2009, President Barack Obama appointed former Santa Fe College student Craig Fugate Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Craig earned a Vocational Certificate from SF’s Paramedic program in 1983 and went on…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Ruby Puckett
April 1, 2016 – Former SF instructor Ruby Puckett moved to Gainesville in 1968 when Santa Fe College was just two years old with fewer than 500 students. It was then that Ruby developed a love and respect for Santa…
Saints of Santa Fe College – Ben Boukari
April 1, 2016 – Ben Boukari enrolled in classes at Santa Fe College in the fall of 2007 and graduated with an A.A. in the spring of 2009 with a focus on business. Ben went on to attend St. Leo…