Jeno Jorgensen made history when he stepped up to the podium to deliver the valedictorian address June 5 at the 2026 Santiago Canyon College commencement ceremony at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange.
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Jorgensen, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 12 years, was the first military veteran student from SCC to be named valedictorian.
The 41-year-old husband and father of two boys earned the distinction by attaining a perfect 4.0 GPA while completing two associate degrees — psychology and child development.
And Jorgensen is just getting started.
“I’m going to learn to be a psychologist, and I’m going to open my own therapy centers, and I’m going to change veterans care,” Jorgensen said. “I’m going to do it. When I say I want something, I’m going to do everything I can to get it done.”
Jorgensen plans to apply for California’s Wellness Coach Program immediately after graduation.
In the fall, he will attend Cal State Fullerton, where he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology while continuing his work with veterans.
From there, Jorgensen’s goal is to open therapy centers and develop resources — including an app he is already building — to provide more meaningful support for veterans.
Adam McManamy, adviser of the Student Veterans of America’s SCC chapter and student services coordinator of TRiO Veterans, another support resource on campus, said Jorgensen has devoted his time, energy and experience to the Veterans Services programs, especially the Student Veterans of America chapter.
“He’s a big presence,” McManamy said. “You always know when he’s in the room. He is always genuine and caring. He’s a little bit older than most of my vets, who are about 25-ish. … He helps us kind of steer the ship.”
Jorgensen’s self-driven demeanor began to take shape as a kid growing up on the South Side of Chicago.
He describes his childhood as difficult, and he was kicked out of his home at 15 — a turning point he attributes to a mix of family issues and his own behavior.
“I wasn’t necessarily the best of kids,” Jorgensen said. “But at the same time, we also had a lot of family issues, too.”
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While in high school, Jorgensen worked multiple jobs, staying for periods of time at friends’ houses or at girlfriends’ houses.
Seeing the need for direction and discipline, Jorgensen enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2003.
“I wanted to give myself a life,” he said. “And I wanted to go fight in the war (in Iraq) at the time.”
During his 12-plus years in the Corps, Jorgensen was deployed to 23 countries, including three combat zones, before finishing his service as a Marine Corps recruiter in Santa Ana.
“I met so many people from so many different backgrounds,” Jorgensen said of his time in the Marines. “It taught me that the world is a really, truly big place, and we’re all from very, very different experiences and backgrounds. And yet at the same time, it instilled in me leadership and how to basically lead men into different areas, and of course, discipline myself to better myself for the future.”
After leaving the military in 2016, he built a successful civilian career as an operations manager in the aerospace industry, overseeing 50 employees and $30 million in inventory.
Jorgensen also became involved with local veterans groups, where he got to know vets who faced challenges transitioning to civilian life. When he learned that some of his Marine buddies had died by suicide, he felt compelled to act.
“It showed me that veteran care really needs to change,” Jorgensen said, convinced that proper support systems could have prevented these crises.
These incidents, combined with his own mental health struggles and the emotional fallout many veterans felt after the Afghanistan withdrawal, pushed him to pursue psychology with the goal of transforming veteran care, he said.
The first step was earning two degrees at SCC.
During his valedictorian speech, Jorgensen touched on multiple topics. He recounted his own journey and returning to school after 15 years away from education. He talked about struggle, perseverance, the need to belong and the humility required to learn from others.
Jorgensen also praised SCC and the veterans support services at the college.
“Programs like the vet center exist because for decades, community colleges have been a place where veterans, and people starting over, can rebuild and move forward,” he said. “I felt that from day one.”
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