ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In two weeks, Orange County Public Schools is expected to see the largest graduating class of Hispanic students in the district's history.
- Record number of Hispanic students graduating Orange high schools
- Cuban student aims to graduate Valencia, go on to University of Florida
- District says almost 50 percent of student body is now Hispanic
This year’s Hispanic graduating class is almost 5,200 — 456 more than last year. Five years ago, the number of Hispanic graduates was around 3,100.
School administrators say almost 50 percent of its student body population is now Hispanic. Orange County Public Schools is the ninth largest district in the country and fourth largest in the state.
District administrators said they expect the numbers of Hispanic graduates to continue to grow as the population increases in Central Florida. They say determined students such as Yicsia Cebero, 16, are another big reason why the Hispanic graduating class grows every year.
Yicsia is a student at Acceleration Academy and a dual-enrollment student at Valencia College. She left her Cuba home at 12 years old with her mother and little sister. It was a move she said her mother never told her was permanent.
"She told me it was a vacation," Yicsia said.
Once they arrived in the U.S., she learned the truth.
"I started crying, because I never knew when I’ll ever see my dad again," Yicsia said. "I was in shock."
She overcame challenges and now has enough credits to graduate this year but plans to stick around another year to receive her associate's degree from Valencia College.
"I miss my dad and everything, but I have a better life here than Cuba," Yicsia said.
She plans to pursue her dream of becoming a dentist after she graduates next year and transfers to the University of Florida.
"I want to buy a house for my mom," Yicsia said.