/Oct2011Newsletter

Bridges to Success Newsletter November 7, 2011

Welcome

November

By Lovelyne Toussaint

8 8 9 18

November

November

November

Learn to Intern CEO style 9-12pm (EC 5-112)

On the behalf The Bridge Newsletter staff, I would like to welcome everyone to another semester here at Valencia College. This year The Bridge is being redesigned and retooled to cover Bridges to Success news as well as other community events. Each member of our staff works hard and contributes interesting and informative articles to keep our newsletter running. This year we plan to expand our horizons and cover different topics such as entertainment, health, and, upcoming events.

Learn to Intern CEO style 1:30-3pm (OC)

If you enjoy writing, creating short stories, or poetry then The Bridge newsletter is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas. We encourage all of our readers to contact Dr. Carter (tcarter27@valenciacollege.edu) with comments, suggestions or contributions. We would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading our very first newsletter this semester.

We will try to keep future issues as informative and interesting as we can.

Learn to Intern CEO style 1-3pm (WC 8-111)

Everything in writing begins with language. Language begins with listening within.

-Jeanette Winterson

FAMU Recruitment Fair 10am (Hilton Orlando)

A Look Inside The Bridges to Success Family

By Lovelyne Toussaint

It has often been said that behind every great structure is a foundation on which it stands.

Quite often people overlook that foundation, only recognizing the end result. Bridges To Success as a program serves as that strong foundation for many students; the program continuously provides its students with opportunities for higher education through financial, mental and educational support. It has been agreed among many that Bridges To Success is phenomenal at helping its students propel into their future. This upcoming year for the Bridges To Success family will be an outstanding one; many activities such as, retreats, workshops, and community service have already been created to enable success among all of their students. Recently a Math Lab, which is equipped with peer tutors and laptops, has been created for students in Developmental Math courses and each student is required to attend the lab for at least one hour a week.

Essentially it takes a whole team of people to accomplish all of the things the Bridges to Success program continues to accomplish daily.

Significant people such as Dr. Robinson, who has been an advisor for the Bridges To Success program for the last 5 years, works with students offering guidance and support to whoever may be in need, while maintaining order throughout the program. When asked if working for this program ever gets tiring or difficult he smiled and replied: “When you look at the value of education it gives you motivation to continue to do what you love to do every day.�

I found those words to be incredibly inspiring as I thought of all the lives that Bridges has

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touched and will continue to touch. There is comfort in knowing that Dr. Robinson as well as our educators, in and out the classroom, love what they do and push us to do our very best every day.

In 10 years Dr. Robinson would love to see a 100% completion from all the students who enter the program, a vision that I know is not too far from reality.

One of the most remarkable things about Bridges is that even those who are not a part of the Bridges staff understand the value of the program. People such as La’Tasha Graham who watches from afar as the program continues to improve; advises students to never quit and that every closed door is a chance to build character.

If you ever find yourself walking past the Bridges office, take a chance and step inside just to say thank you; I can guarantee you that every person in that office, is hard at work, creating new opportunities, just for you.

College Night Osceola Campus

By Nicole Abodo

Hundreds of students and parents swarmed the halls of Osceola Campus during Valencia College’s annual College Night. There high school students as well as many college students were able to speak to representatives of their prospective colleges. This year over 120 colleges and institutions participated in this event.

Colleges such as University of Florida, Harvard College and University of Alabama sought this as recruitment opportunity for potential students.

really big, so it can get confusing finding your way around. I can’t imagine what coming to a place like this is like. College seems like a lot of hard work.”

College Night East Campus

College is hard work. There is no question about that. It can also be fun, but you just have to make it fun. That’s what College Night did. They brought out DJs, snacks, and games for everyone to try. To that thought, the students of SJMS gave me another perspective, “This is a blast!

If college is like this, I might actually want to get out of bed!”

By Roberto Gonzalez

If I were to ask you what College Night is, would you be able to tell me? Before I went to East Campus’ College Night, the basic answer I got was something out of a dictionary: “An occasion where multiple colleges come together in one location to talk about their respective colleges.”

While that is technically accurate, I have to disagree. College Night is a time for people of any-and every-age to come out and have fun learning about where their futures may take them one day.

After roaming around Valencia East Campus for hours, I learned a lot more than I originally thought I would. People willingly opened up to me and gave me a little of their time to express their feelings about the incredible experience. “This is a great opportunity for all of us here to show what our colleges can provide for the future generations. I am truly grateful that this event was put together,” Ms. Christina Meoady, representative of Ashford University, said. Even a home team player gave me some of their time in the form of Ms. Lacy Kresen, a member of East Campus’ L.A.T.I.N.A. group: “All of this is pretty cool. I’ve also seen a lot of younger students coming out tonight.

They are preparing for their futures right now and that’s what makes these guys so smart.”

Many younger students did come out for College Night. What’s shocking is how young. So many of the students we saw were in high school, but the majority of all participants for the night were in middle school! Students from Stonewall Jackson Middle School (SJMS) gave insight on how they felt with everything going on around them, “This school is

What about Valencia? Sure, all the other schools had their time to shine. But does Valencia provide the same shine for students? The answer is yes. Within Building 3, many of our arts programs came out and showed what they offered. But even without the Arts, students will have other reasons to come to Valencia. I managed to speak to 3 children of a current Valencia students; Steven Grant. Steven has worked hard to get where he is now, and his children see it, “Valencia is helping my dad a lot. He is reaching for his goal, and I know he will make it. He wants to show us that we are capable of doing anything if we put our minds to it. That’s why we want to go to Valencia. We want to follow in our dad’s footsteps in order to show that we can take whatever the world can dish out.”

So, all in all, what is College Night? Is it just a meeting of colleges? No. It is a time for not only students, but friends and families as well, to come out and have a good time while learning. The road of life can have many bumps along the way.

If College Night has taught me anything, there’s only one thing. That road is not traveled alone. There are others standing by your side, helping you to dodge the bumps and reach a better future.

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Paula Casey Visits Osceola Campus in Honor of Constitution Day

By Nicole Abodo

Many college students look at the right to vote as such a distinct privilege in today’s society, unfortunately a lot of them do not know the history behind it. Students gathered at Osceola Campus for Constitution Day, an event sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA) on Thursday, Sept. 15. There students were able to participate in trivia games, take pictures with Uncle Sam, and listen to special guest speaker Paula Casey.

Casey is a motivational speaker, particularly on voting rights and the United States Constitution. She has spoken to community colleges and universities all over the country. “It is important to understand the constitution and what it symbolizes,” Casey said, “I believe in equal rights for everybody.” Casey stressed that young adults, women especially should take advantage of the rights set for us in the U.S. Constitution because many years ago certain people were not allowed to vote or even express their rights because of their gender or race.

Students had the opportunity to ask the Tennessee native a few questions of their own, learning a little bit more about her.

“It was a lot of good information about the Constitution. Now I could appreciate the country even more during our economic times,” said first year Bridges student Victoria Butler, who is also an avid member of SGA. After the speech, SGA held a reception where students could personally meet Casey and enjoy food as well as refreshments.

Matador Day Osceola Campus

By Nicole Abodo

Music, food and college spirit! Matador Day is defined as a day where the students of Valencia can take a day out of their classes, work week and more to relax, have fun and most importantly showcase their school spirit.

On Thursday, October 13, hundreds of students did just that. Student Development hosted Valencia’s annual Matador Day in front of the clock. During Matador Day, students got the chance to really have fun with variety of activities displayed

throughout the event such as rock climbing, bungee racing, mechanical bull riding and even human fuzz ball. Several students thought of Matador Day as “one of Valencia’s best event yet.”

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Mentoring Program Mentee of the month of October

REGAL Arlyn Usme is a great example of what it means to prioritize and put your education first. She showed that she is dedicated to her education and academic success by making the necessary sacrifices to stick to her commitments for REGAL. I applauded her and want to acknowledge that by honoring her as Mentee of the Month.

Keep up the good work!

REGAL

By Dee Salley

Welcome to the returning ladies of R.E.G.A.L and especially welcome to our new inductees. The ladies of R.E.G.A.L recently went on a retreat at Moss Park for what we thought was just recreation. But little did we know there were going to be bonding as sisters with young women of many different ethnics backgrounds. We were taking in nature and nature was taking advantage of us, especially the love bugs!

Many questions were asked but two questions asked stuck out to me: What can R.E.G.A.L do for you? And, what can you bring to the table for R.E.G.A.L? Many ladies found that they had several things in common with each other and had a blast mixing and moving. We had an interesting kick ball game that will stick with us for a long time! Following the weekend, the ladies just completed their first community service event, “Family Day” at Orlo Vista Park. There was dinner, giveaways, arts and crafts, workshops, guest speakers, games, door prizes, health screenings, free children’s clothes and school supplies.

The ladies had a good time as well as helping out the community. Overall, the ladies are just getting started. Just wait, watch and listen! The ladies of R.E.G.A.L are excited to kick off a brand new semester.

Quotes of the month: “Don’t walk in front of me and be my leader, don’t walk behind me and be my follower, but walk beside me and be my Sister.”

-Anonymous “Friends change. Lovers leave. Sisters are eternal.”

- Anonymous

BHAC Induction Ceremony

By Lovelyne Toussaint

The Black Higher Achievers Club, also known as BHAC, is an organization that was designed to ensure that AfricanAmerican students achieve their educational goals. The organization was established at Valencia Community College in the Fall semester of 1988-1989 by Mr. John Stover. Initially the program was designed to recognize academically high achieving African-American students and to compliment the African-American Culture Society. BHAC held its first Induction ceremony on March 10th, 1989 with its ten founding members and two advisers: Mr. John Stover and Mr. Paul Licata.

Over the years BHAC has evolved into an organization that provides leadership and service within the African-American student body. BHAC members strive to endorse the achievement of a higher education by creating a positive example

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LATINA & MOSAIC win community service award

By Mrs. Donna Rivera-Kala

among the student body and community.

On October 11th, 2011 this prestigious program honored and inducted their new members into the club. BHAC is open to all students at Valencia who maintain a minimum of 2.8 G.P.A and have completed 15 credit hours. Junior members can be inducted with 7 credit hours while maintaining the same G.P.A. Each inductee met these requirements and carried a candle to signify their commitment to the program.

During the ceremony 7 candles were lit to signify 7 different things. The first candle was lit to signify development and attainment of intellectual leadership. The second candle lit signified stimulation of academic achievement and growth. The third candle signified promotion of higher education. The fourth candle signified continued search for pure knowledge. The fifth candle signified strength and nobility of character. The sixth candle signified loyalty and service to others, and the seventh candle signified honesty, unity, and integrity among us.

The newly inducted BHAC members agreed to participate in campus and community activities, maintain a respectable

G.P.A., and promote leadership actively throughout each Valencia campus. Darline Henrise, an exchange student from Haiti voiced her joy and excitement as she received her certificate, and was inducted into the organization. Vice President of the BHAC Angel Troncoso-Garcia has dreams for the future of the program, he hopes to help promote African American culture and educate others on the importance of an education.

L.A.T.I.N.A & M.O.S.A.I.C were the 20102011 recipients of the Partners in Education Award through Orange County Public Schools. They were nominated by Legacy Middle school in which they have partnered with since 2009. The students assist at-risk youth in grades 6th-8th. They visit Monday through Friday and work with students in small groups for reading and math.

They have been especially successful with the ESOL population and the impact has been huge. Since the start of the program, every student in which they have helped has progressed academically. L.A.T.I.N.A & M.O.S.A.I.C have also been nominated for the state award. They are excited and hope to gain another accomplishment.

ENTERTAINMENT The College Life. What Do You Wear?

By Chacoryia Burns

It’s the first year of college, and so many freshmen are ready to start out the year with style. Some students started out the year with fashion greatness, while other students would rather chill when they attend classes. Unlike high school, “dressing up” is not a factor to some students at Valencia. Just coming in a plain shirt, gym shorts, and a white tank top is fine with some students. However, other students feel that dressing for success in stylish outfits from Forever 21 to Ralph Lauren express their everyday style.

So how do our Bridges freshmen students feel about their college life swag? “I dress down to be comfortable and ready to learn”, said Shamera Jacobs. “I dress up for school because that is how I express my everyday style you know”, said Quinton Cleveland. Whether dressing stylish or sheek or chilling students should always come prepared with their A game to class for the best, and always strive for success!

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Catherine - Video Game Review

By Abdoallah Ashor

Catherine is a puzzle game of morals in which you are put in control of the hero of the story; Vincent Brooks. You guide him through a steep road in life called a relationship. Vincent has been with his girlfriend, Katherine, for years, and recently, she’s been trying to tie the knot with him. Soon enough, Vincent starts having crazy nightmares, growing horns and being clad in his boxers. During these bizarre dreams, he must climb up towers of puzzle blocks and ring the top of the levels every night, or he will die in his dream. Pretty scary, since strange deaths have been happening with young men dying in their sleep. To top it all off, Vincent wakes up next to a beautiful young girl, who also has the name of Catherine.

With the help of his friends, a lot of booze, and a lot of strange talking sheep, Vincent must make the decision between the two woman in his life. The puzzle platforming in the game is very fast-paced and at the same time, takes a lot of quick thinking and being able to adapt to the game’s speed. As the game gets closer to the end, it gets a lot harder. After the nightmares are over you are usually rewarded with a refreshing cut-scene and a bit of freedom from all the puzzles, although short-lived.

Most of the game takes place in the “Stray Sheep”, the local bar Vincent goes to with his friends. There, you can talk to other people, learn more about the mysterious murders, and of course, reply to text messages! Texts give you helpful tips and also tells you of your rewards from the previous night’s nightmare. Other than that, you have to reply to texts you receive from both Katherine and Catherine.

Depending on your replies and choices during the game, you’ll gain either good or bad karma. Overall, the story of the game was really down to earth, and I really felt I could relate to Vincent, and honestly, that’s how you know a developer created a very deep story, when you can get sucked into it like that.

Personally, I enjoyed the game a lot, and even though I bought the deluxe edition, to which I love wearing my matching boxers, I’ll give this game a 3 out 5 stars. Unless you’re like me, and play a game over and over again, this game is one of those games you’ll want to play just once or twice, not too many times. This game is very detailed in how it ends, since there are 8 different endings, and it definitely is quite interesting to see what happens when you say or do what you didn’t do last time.

I’ll say for sure, this game from start to finish is completely mind-blowing, I was amazed at how many different twists and turns the storyline took, and who knows, maybe it was just the ending I got. Once again, even though I’d love to give it a 4 out of 5, I’ll give Catherine a 3 out of 5 stars.

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READER SUBMISSIONS Forgive, But Never Forget

By Roberto Gonzalez

I had been walking for almost an hour before I finally reached my destination. So many emotions filled me as I looked the monument. Before me stood large black walls. These walls did not stand side-byside. They connected at each corner and stretched out into a humongous square.

Close by, another square just as big stood out as well. Within the walls, water cascaded downward into the center of a continuously shrinking square.

As I walked towards the monument, sparks of sunlight bounced off the surrounding skyscrapers, almost blinding me. I ignored the small annoyance and stood tall in front of the stone. Reaching out, I felt a shiver run from the tips of my fingers to the rest of my body as they touched the cool stone. My hand followed quickly and ran across the smooth surface with ease. Within the smooth stone, engraved letters hollowed out spaces underneath my palm.

My body froze up as a batch of letters filled my hand. Pulling away slightly, I allowed the letters to slowly form into a name. My chest felt like it was about to burst as I recognized it. A burning sensation taunted me from behind my eyelids, but I pushed the feeling back. Guilt replaced it, and I struggled to move. I eased away from the monument like it would come to life and attack me at any given moment. After a few feet, I turned around and walked away. I took a few steps forward before I turned around again.

The space where I was a moment ago was filled. I froze at the sight of him.

He had appeared out of nowhere. An expensive-looking dark blue suit fit his body snuggly along with the white dress shirt that could be seen within the V shape of the coat. A red handkerchief stuck out the front pocket of the jacket.

A white Yankees cap he wore on his head ruined the image of a businessman-look.

He was looking towards the ground. At that moment I noticed that he was sitting on top of the black stone, directly on top of the name I had found.

I could tell he was talking to me. He was staring out at the waterfalls and his voice barely came out as a whisper, but I still managed to hear every word. “So many people died here. I wonder how family members took it.”

My body moved on its own as I surged towards the guy and grabbed him by his collar. Words spilled from my mouth like acid as I felt rage boil inside me. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? This isn’t some bench for you to rest on. Show some respect!”

I couldn’t help myself. My voice sounded meek at that moment, even to myself. “It hurts a lot more than anyone can guess.

And it hurts a hell of a lot worse than any book can describe.” The man stood silent for a long moment. When he spoke again, I didn’t expect what I’d hear.

The man’s eyes were hidden behind the cap, but his surprised gasp transformed into a secretive smile. “Did you lose someone here?” His voice was very low pitched, as if he had lived a very long and painful life. The pain in his voice threw me off and I pulled back my hand as if he were on fire.

“My wife died young. My son and I only had each other in the world, but we didn’t see eye to eye. As a result, we don’t talk to each other. I have a chance to meet him today…to make amends for what I’ve done. I know what it feels like to lose a loved one to Death. I also know what losing a living one is like as well. I just hope he will forgive me.”

Realization of what I had done struck me hard and I turned to apologize to the man.

Before I could speak, he held up his hand in a ‘don’t bother’ gesture. “It’s alright. It was my mistake.” The man withdrew his hand and stood up. The man reached into his pocket. He pulled out a bag of peanuts and held them out to me. Staring at them, there didn’t seem to be anything weird about the nuts. The bag shook gently in his hand before the man spoke out. “Go on, it’s the least I can do to say I’m sorry.”

I hesitated for a moment before I grabbed them. With a quick ‘thank-you,’ I popped a few into my mouth. The saltiness was welcomed as I realized how hungry I had gotten. As I inhaled the contents of the bag, I kept a hidden glance on the stranger. Who was this man?

“It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years already.” A sharp pain hit my heart.

I started choking on my food. When I finally settled down, I turned to look at him clearly. He had his back towards me, but

A bark of pained laughter echoed out of me. “I wish my version had a better ending. My mom died when I was 5. It was just me and my dad. But when 9/11 happened, it just became me against the world.” I don’t know why I was saying these things. Why was I even talking to this guy? But once I stared, the words just kept coming.

“Me and my dad didn’t get along. He wanted me to have a good life. I was young and stupid and I thought I could do whatever I wanted. On that day, I snapped.

I said some things I shouldn’t have. He just stared at me with a sad look in his eyes as I yelled. I lost it and ran out the house.

“When I heard about the towers, I didn’t care. I was too focused on hating my dad.

I was so mad that I had forgotten that he worked at the towers. It wasn’t until I got the call from the police that I realized everything…that he was gone.

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“…I didn’t cry,” my voice had tuned down and became a dead whisper. My arm was shaking so violently that I had to my hand into my pocket. “After all the crap that we went through, all the crap I put him through, I didn’t deserved to. There were so many things left broken between us.

I…just couldn’t.”

My listener stayed silent for a long time.

I could not see his reaction, but I could feel I had gotten to him. My mind was going a mile a minute. Why was I talking to some guy I just met? That question kept popping into my head. Finally, the man asked, “Why do you think there are waterfalls here?

I didn’t understand, but he continued.

“Tears have fallen for 10 years now, all for loved one that may never return. I think that these falls are meant to show that the world will never stop crying. However, it isn’t a bad thing to cry. The pain will always be inside their hearts, but by letting out tears, they’re easing the pain.”

My mouth stayed shut. I couldn’t say anything. I kept my eyes trained onto the ground. When my mouth finally opened, I barely whispered. “What are you trying to say?”

The man answered with his own question.

“What would your father think if he knew you were hurting yourself ?” It felt like my heart was ripped out. My breath caught in my throat. When I didn’t speak, his voice became louder. “That’s all you’re doing to yourself. If you carry all your burdens on your back, they will only weigh you down.”

“Well, I don’t care what you say.” My heart froze over as I spoke. I could feel his eyes on me, and I stared right back at his covered face. “I finished school and got into college. I got married to a beautiful woman; I’m expecting my first child in 2 months. I have a great life. Everything

I know, I learned from him. The least I can do is make sure I remember how badly I screwed up.”

Tears burned behind my eyes again. I don’t know why they felt like coming up.

But they ignored my pleas to stop. At that moment, a shadow covered my face.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at the rim of a white baseball cap.

“You know, you don’t have to forget. You just have to forgive. Yourself mainly.”

From behind, the man’s voice spoke strong. I turned around and pulled the cap up so I could see him. My eyes widened as I saw hair and skin that resembled his own almost perfectly. The world around us had become silent.

“Your dad is watching over you, even as we speak. You’ve become a fine young man, and that’s all he could ever want.”

The sun seemed so dim compared to how he was glowing in front of me. He was smiling with pride as he placed a hand on my shoulder. “He wants you to know that he always loves you. He forgave you long before the fight ended that day. So do you think you could forgive yourself now?”

My mouth just opened and closed, having a hard time speaking. Burning started at the back of my eyes once again. This time, I did not stop it. I pulled the cap back over my eyes as tears dripped down my face freely and unashamed. Through the tears, I managed a “Yes…” His hand left my shoulder, leaving me feeling cold. The feeling vanished quickly as two arms wrapped around me in a warm embrace. My arms mirrored his own as a held him as tight as I could, as if I were afraid he would disappear.

Sobs poured out and my body shook hard. Finally, I managed to pull away and look into his face. He looked exactly as I remembered him. Taking in deep breaths, I muttered out, “I’m sorry.”

His voice was a whisper on the wind against my ear. “I know. I am too.” A bright light started to blind me and I lost sight of him. As everything went white, I heard him say, “Goodbye son…”

The world was spinning. When I opened my eyes, the glare from the sunset made me hiss in pain. Covering my eyes, I looked around. I was sitting up against the monument. All my joints ached as I moved them around. I stared at the monument for a second before I felt a deep sadness come over me. I realized that my cheeks felt wet; I had been crying.

Confused, I rubbed my face against my elbow. When I pulled away, I noticed I was folding something. In my hand lay a white Yankees baseball cap. Inside the cap lay a half-eaten bag of peanuts. I stared at them for a long time before I felt myself smile. Pulling the bag out and stuffing in my pocket, I placed the cap on my head. I pulled myself up and turned my head sideways to look at the monument. I stared for a moment and I nodded at the name that seems to be glowing out at me. I walked away with ease. I walked away with the weight of the world off my shoulders.

Dedicated to those who lost loved ones on 9/11.

Remember, love never dies. As for the lost ones, they are always watching, guiding each of us to a better life, where they can always protect you, either in the afterlife, or just in your hearts.

Bridges to Success Newsletter

We are very prepared; we’re going to blow Mrs. Rivera out of the water! My group is filled with great kids. All of them are helpful; they aren’t laid back and they focus on the work.”

Valencia to the Old and New

By Roberto Gonzalez

Welcome back to another year at Valencia College. At least for the returning students.

For the newbies, welcome to your first year!

Everybody has their own opinion of the school. It can be a new school and home, or it could just be a place to have fun while learning about your future careers. Every person in this school shares one thing in mind: “I’ve got to try my best.” Some take this closer to heart than others. Newcomers have different perspectives on these new changes in their lives. Bridges students are put to the test at the start of the summer term.

“When I found out that we’d have to go to school in the summer, I found myself enjoying everything. Bridges gives every student the help they need when you’re a first-time college student. Before anything else, we set up meetings with advisors to make our fall schedules in advance.” – Aleskia Fernandez Some members of the Bridges program have gone a long way to get where they are today. Alfonso Caicedo came from Venezuela over four years ago. Today, he

speaks fluent English and is a proud part of Bridges: “I’m excited. I never thought that I’d get a chance like this. Back in school, I felt that I wasn’t that smart, and I had the bad GPA to prove it. Looking at how far I’ve gotten, I’m really grateful to be given a chance like this. I plan to take full advantage of this program.”

Other members of the Bridges program have become leaders of groups or team projects, all of the students work together to complete their respective parts in the project. Victoria (Tori) Tuffs, leader of Group 3-East Campus expressed her feelings by commenting, “I didn’t think more or less about the role of a leader. It didn’t take long to become comfortable with it.

As for our project, we are on top of it.

Bridges newcomers aren’t the only people that have to adjust to changes. Returning students all come back for another year of learning in order to obtain their degrees.

However, the pressure is much worse for these students. Plenty things stand in their way. Many of them have jobs that can cut into their school time. Steven Grant, a returning Bridges student spoke about his life at Valencia, “I feel great about returning. I like the social environment that Valencia provides. Anyway, I myself am a parent. It is most definitely difficult to juggle work, family, and college onto one plate. A good home life allows me to balance everything evenly. There are a lot of things I hope to take out of this year in Valencia. I hope to attain enlightenment. I want to keep my future career going into the right path.”

Every person struggles with the ups and downs of the world. College is just another hurdle that can be overcome. Steven had one piece of advice for his fellow students, “Keep it simple. That goes for everything; grades especially. These teachers are not looking for some overworked piece that almost reached the deadline.

They just want the project done right. If you can handle that, you will be able to handle college.”

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October

The Bridge Team

By Roberto Gonzalez

When the sun goes down And the children play October comes to life On Halloween Day But before all that Please take a step back Listen to my rhymes And cut me some slack First, Hispanic Month And all can see The Spanish are proud And proud they should be

Asif Khan

Chacoryia Burns

Lovelyne Toussaint

Nicole Abodo

Jonathan Tenjo-Palacios

Abdoallah Ashour

Valencia’s symbol Is from Spain they say So we party it out On Matador’s Day And for all of the students Have pride and stand tall You’re halfway through The semester of Fall October’s a party So have some fun You better enjoy it The year’s almost done All you witches and ghouls With worries and dismay Only come out On Halloween Day So eat your candy ’Til you stomach turns Just don’t throw up In the jack-o-lanterns We may be adults But as friends we still meet I’ve got one thing to say…

“Trick ‘or Treat” Roberto Gonzalez