ORLANDO, Fla. — Students at UCF and Valencia College’s downtown campus begin classes Monday.

• UCF and Valencia students begin classes downtown Monday
• New campus features state-of-the-art classroom design
• PREVIOUS STORIES:
  • New UCF Downtown Brings New Opportunities for Students
  • UCF, Valencia Students Move Into New "Amazing" Downtown Campus
  • UCF Downtown Prepares to Open Its Doors This Fall

“Everything’s new, everything works well,” said Matthew McKenzie, a senior at UCF Downtown. “It’s very easy to go downtown. Have fun with my friends and whatnot.”

McKenzie moved to the UnionWest building Saturday. The building houses 640 student beds, a recreation center, counseling offices and academic advising. 

It’s also home to the Walt Disney World Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality, at Valencia College Downtown. The nearby Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, has more classrooms and study centers. 

“It’s exciting. It makes me want to make something," said Gabriella Briones, a student in the school's culinary program. “It’s a new facility, new equipment, new campus, new experience all together.”

While it's the 21-year-old's third year studying baking and pastry at the school, it's her first semester downtown. Briones' classroom is outfitted with shiny, never-been-used appliances; large windows provide a view of the city for students as they cook.

The three floors of the culinary school were furnished in part by Walt Disney World Resorts.

“It’s our single-largest donation of 2019," said Walt Disney's Tajiana Ancora-Brown of the $1.5 million dollar donation. “Being able to support a program that will so directly impact our future workforce and the workforce here in our community is very important to us.”

Briones hopes the partnership with Walt Disney World will open more doors for her post graduation. She said that she wants to learn all she can about processes and equipment, then go out into "the real world and actually know how to use it."

“This program allowed me to get that exceptional training and learning and do it at an affordable price," Briones said. “The end for me is my own bakery.”

The nearby Dr. Phillips Academic Commons has more classrooms and study centers.

Mike Kilbridge, the assistant Vice President of UCF Downtown, hopes the central location of the new campus encourages more kids to pursue higher education. 

"Now we’re in a community where there’s a college in walking distance to so many high schools," said Kilbridge. "And to so many communities downtown, that access is no longer gonna be about if I go to school; it’s look, I can go to school right there, and it’s in my backyard."

UCF alum and incoming graduate student Natalie Waye walked around the new campus on her way through the city. She wishes it were around when she was an undergrad. 

"I grew up going to smaller schools, so going to main campus my freshman year was super overwhelming," she explained. "It was really intimidating, and to have something smaller would’ve really been awesome."

Construction on the new downtown campus is ongoing.