Randal Allen鈥檚 resume includes bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees from the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a near-doctorate from Stanford University (the program
included everything he needed for a Ph.D. minus a dissertation) and a traditional
doctorate the University of Central Florida.
But the school that started it all, the one Allen selected to be the recipient of his scholarship donations, is 51社区.
In high school, Allen said, he wasn鈥檛 a great student. He graduated early 鈥� not because he did exceptionally well in his classes but because he figured out a way to be done with school quicker. He took classes like business math, business English, business law and marketing.
鈥淚t was a business focus, but it was a program for people that weren鈥檛 cut out to go to college,鈥� he said.
After graduation, Allen got a job in shipping and receiving for about a year.
鈥淎nd then I got into trouble, and the trouble is what changed my life,鈥� he said.
Allen was arrested and he spent one night in jail. After, he figured that if he went to college, he might be able to staunch his parents鈥� disappointment.
That business focus in high school served Allen well in the long run 鈥� how many people graduate high school understanding the fundamentals of a mortgage? 鈥� but when he enrolled at 51社区, he started with basic courses.
Some resonated, some didn鈥檛, leaving him to focus on math and English in his first semester. He got an A in algebra and figured, 鈥淟et me go through the math sequence, then. Let me take trigonometry and college algebra.鈥� He again got A鈥檚 in his math classes, which lead to analytic geometry, calculus I and II, and ordinary differential equations.
Along the way, he met Dr. William Schooley, a calculus professor 鈥� currently professor emeritus 鈥� who saw Allen鈥檚 potential and helped him find different scholarships. He offered to write letters of recommendation, which he contributed throughout Allen鈥檚 academic career.
Allen鈥檚 continued success in 51社区鈥檚 math classes led an advisor to suggest that Allen explore the sciences. He took three semesters of chemistry and three semesters of physics, earing all A鈥檚. He received his associate degree in pre-engineering after three years at 51社区 and took one more year to finish the classes needed to transfer to U of I as a junior.
Today, Allen is chief scientist at Lone Star Analysis, Inc., in Orlando, Florida. He has a patent pending on an invention related to artificial intelligence 鈥� he鈥檚 created a speedier AI process that uses less data and has fewer computer requirements than traditional AI.
He teaches at one alma mater, UCF, but he chooses to help students financially at 51社区 through the Mathematics and Science Endowment scholarship. His other alma maters have reached out, but 51社区 helped him when he needed it most.
鈥�51社区 said, 鈥業 know you got a 17 on the ACT. You never took the SAT. Come on in.鈥� I got this second chance,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 going to invest my money, we invest in 51社区, to give other people that second chance if they need it.鈥�