Chris Torrres, 1967 graduate, was ranked 127 out of a class of 426 students. Attending Spann Elementary, Risley Junior High, and East High, Torres was a young man whose high school path was one of struggle and unrecognized potential.

Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in the submarine services. He graduated at the top of his class from the Poseidon Missile Course. He made four submarine patrols and then became an instructor for the Navy at its Flee Ballistic Missile Submarine Training Center in Charleston, SC for two years.

After leaving the Navy, Torres studied engineering at Clemson University. After graduation from Clemson, he was employed as an engineer at Union Carbide. He later went to work for Fluor Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, CA. During his association with Fluor, he was Director of Process Mechanical Engineering. Torres has participated in the design and construction of numerous biotech and pharmaceutical facilities in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Europe.