Dueling Dragons Tour Valencia College’s Accelerated Skills Training Programs
Dueling Dragons (DD) Alumnus and Advisory Board member Brandon Cunningham, who now works for Valencia College as an Implementation Coordinator, recently invited the current DD teams to tour Valencia College’s Accelerated Skills Training programs. Located off John Young Parkway on Judge Street in Orlando, the programs provide education, experience and certification in advanced manufacturing, welding, construction, apartment maintenance, transportation and logistics, and healthcare. The City of Orlando Parks and Recreation Department generously provided transportation, and the group enjoyed a private tour on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
While the DD teens are too young to register for the programs right now, they were engaged in learning how these resources are available to them after high school if college is not their choice or if they want to learn a trade after graduation. Following the tour, the group gathered in a classroom to discuss what they learned, including the scholarship opportunities and job recruitment assistance these programs offer them after high-school graduation as well as job salaries for these fields of study. In addition, Brandon shared his personal stories of growth and learning as a Valencia student. He received a scholarship from the Kiwanis Club of Orlando to attend Valencia and then went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Special thank you to the DD mentors who attended the Valencia tour with the teens: Sgt. Keven Beers, SRO Damon Barnes, Dwight Evans, Jarvious Merritt, SRO John Powers, Brenda Scott, Jay Robinson, Virginelle Vincent and Adrienne Hasan.
On August 3, 2022, DD looks forward to touring the Valencia College Hospitality & Culinary Arts program and the Walt Disney World Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality in downtown Orlando to learn about additional education and career opportunities.
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