- University of Florida, Class of 2017
- Polk County
Vanessa Colchado graduated from the International Baccalaureate Program at Bartow High School in 2012. She was Key Club President and French Club Historian; she also volunteered as coordinator for a canned food drive, was a summer camp counselor and ran cross country. Vanessa attended the University of Florida and graduated with a master’s degree in Accounting in 2017. After graduation, she earned her Certified Public Accountant license and worked at public accounting firms including Deloitte and Purvis, Gray & Company. Throughout college, she had been an active e-board member of an immigrant rights advocacy organization called UF Chispas. Vanessa now works as a financial investigator at the Fair Food Standards Council (FFSC) – a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of farmworker rights. Vanessa’s hobbies include reading, sewing, brushing up on her French, and finding ways to give back to her community.