Pablo Valencia’s parents wanted him to go to college.
Even before he knew what college was, he knew he was going. His father graduated from Florida International University in 1994 with a degree in therapeutic recreation. He was the first in his family to go to college.
Valencia’s mother never got the chance to attend college, a fate she wanted to change for her son.
On Tuesday, the 18-year-old fulfilled his parents’ dream as he started his first week of college along with about 250 other freshmen as part of the Innovation Academy, a program at UF in which students take classes during Spring and Summer.
“I’m sure he’s going to excel,” said his mother, Carolina Valencia. “He’s definitely gifted. ”
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Harry Valencia, right, poses for a photo with his infant son, Pablo Valencia. Pablo hopes to go further than his father did in higher education and obtain a graduate degree.
Valencia didn’t realize he would be waiting until Spring to start his college career.
As a Gainesville resident for the past eight years, he knew he had been a Gator his whole life. But when he applied to UF
in Fall 2014, he didn’t know what Innovation Academy entailed.
“I had no idea it would flip your schedule,” he said. “I just checked it for the hell of it.”
So when he got to his first day of classes, Valencia was ready.
Like every morning, he got up at 7:30 a.m. without hitting the snooze button.
It’s the only way he’s able to start his day.
The morning of his first day, he made scrambled eggs for his roommates.
After that, he paced for about 40 minutes before walking to his first class, Introduction to Chemistry, at 9:30 a.m. with a friend from high school.
“I was walking around doing random stuff until it was time to go,” he said. “I was just ready to go.”
His second class, Introduction to Programming, started at 11:45 a.m. in the Computer Science and Engineering Building. He and about 20 freshmen waited for a professor who would never show up.
After about 15 minutes, the freshmen got up and left.
He later saw the professor posted on Canvas that he wouldn’t be there, Valencia said. Valencia didn’t know teachers could post messages on Canvas.
But he said he wasn’t upset. He was just happy to go to class.
“I’ve been waiting since Summer and Fall,” he said.
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From left: Marco Valencia, Harry Valencia, Nina Valencia, Pablo Valencia and Carlos Valencia pose for a photo.
Despite just arriving on campus, Valencia is no stranger to Gainesville.
His family moved from Miami about eight years ago, Valencia said. Although they only live about 30 minutes from UF, he wanted to live on campus.
He said he wanted to be in Beaty Towers to be surrounded by other IA students.
His mother, Carolina, said it’s strange not having Valencia in the house. She used to come home from work to him blaring salsa music in his room.
But even though having him at UF is hard, she said she’s proud of her son.
“Pablo has always kept his belief in who he is,” she said.
Valencia said he won’t be a stranger to his loved ones. He’ll be going home for dinner and to see his family.
“They’re the only people I truly trust,” he said.
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Pablo Valencia poses for a photo with his mother, Nina Valencia. Pablo is the first on his mother’s side of the family to attend college.
His parents were poor when they came to the U.S. from Colombia, Valencia said. They wanted their children to be financially secure but also help others.
His father, Harry Valencia, moved to the U.S. when he was 15, Valencia said. After arriving in America, he studied to give his family a better life. He works as a massage therapist to provide for his family.
“Education in our house is a way to move upwards,” Harry Valencia said. “Especially when you don’t have money. It becomes the foundation.”
Valencia said because of his parents’ hard work, he didn’t struggle the way they did growing up.
“I was raised in a pretty good house,” he said. “I don’t have an excuse. I might as well make the most of it.”
Valencia is following in his father’s footsteps of going to college, but he’s taking his education one step further. He said he hopes to get a graduate degree.
Although his dad emphasized education, he said his mother was the one who kept him on track and stayed involved in his education.
“My momma don’t play,” he said.
Valencia said he slacked during his junior and senior year of high school. But, his mother pushed him to finish scholarships and college applications, and she is why he’s at UF today.
“I would be nothing without my mother,” he said.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @k_newberg.
Pablo Valencia, an 18-year-old UF computer science freshman in the Innovation Academy, is the first in his family to attend the University of Florida. “Education makes it so whatever you do will help a lot of people,” he said.
Pictured are scenes from Pablo Valencia’s life. Valencia’s father moved to the U.S. when he was 15, and since then he worked hard to provide for his future family.
Pictured are scenes from Pablo Valencia’s life. Valencia’s father moved to the U.S. when he was 15, and since then he worked hard to provide for his future family.
Pictured are scenes from Pablo Valencia’s life. Valencia’s father moved to the U.S. when he was 15, and since then he worked hard to provide for his future family.
Pictured are scenes from Pablo Valencia’s life. Valencia’s father moved to the U.S. when he was 15, and since then he worked hard to provide for his future family.
Pictured are scenes from Pablo Valencia’s life. Valencia’s father moved to the U.S. when he was 15, and since then he worked hard to provide for his future family.
Pictured are scenes from Pablo Valencia’s life. Valencia’s father moved to the U.S. when he was 15, and since then he worked hard to provide for his future family.
