The Student Development team launched Good Morning Valencia, a student-led podcast that aims to both inform, and unite students while the majority of the college has gone virtual.

On Aug. 18, Good Morning Valencia released its first episode, “Valencia Bound,”  featuring an interview with Executive Vice President and Provost of Valencia College, Kathleen Plinske, on how to prepare for the Fall semester as many resources have moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Host of the podcast Amanda Casquel, 30, and co-host Sebastian Valenzuela, 20, of the Student Development team decided to use this situation as the perfect opportunity to help out students during a time when college communication is limited as only a few face-to-face classes occur at Valencia College.

“The purpose is always to reach out to the maximum students possible,” Casquel explained. “We’re trying to use different channels to see if we can spread the word and get the information out there.” She went further to address her goal for fellow students as they tune in to Good Morning Valencia. “What we really want is students to be involved.”

When Valenzuela was asked how he personally felt about co-hosting the podcast, he replied, “It’s something that I’m really happy about. It’s a new way to connect with students, especially during unprecedented times.”

Both Casquel and Valenzuela are currently in their last semester at Valencia College before graduating. When asked about the future of this podcast, Valenzuela was hopeful that it continues and improves by someone just as dedicated to this as he is. “We want to act as a stepping stone towards whoever comes next. Whoever comes next, I truly am hoping that what they do is improve on what we already have established,” Valenzuela also stated that this is a mission Casquel shares with him.

The next episode is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and will feature a tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month. The Student Development team announced on its website that there will be two more episodes on Oct. 14, and Nov. 18.

Good Morning Valencia can be listened to on multiple platforms including Anchor, Spotify, Radio Public, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, and Breaker.