June is the month for high school graduations. Thousands of students across Connecticut will collect their diplomas and move on to college, the workforce or the military.
For the 53 people who earned their high school diplomas through the Vernon Regional Adult Based Education Thursday night, it was a time to celebrate an important milestone and to acknowledge the hard work, juggling of work and family, and most of all the decision to return to school to earn a high school diploma.
“This evening is more than a ceremony. It is a powerful reminder of what is possible when determination meets opportunity,” said Melissa Iles, the director of Vernon Regional Adult Based Education. “Tonight, we celebrate not just the end of a chapter, but the extraordinary strength and persistence it took each of our graduates to arrive at this moment.”
None of those who earned their diplomas had it easy, but they did not quit, she said.
“Graduation is not just a symbol of academic achievement, it’s a declaration of resilience,” Iles said. “It tells the world ‘I did not quit, I believed in myself, I showed up, I worked hard and I earned this.’ As we look to the future, remember, success is not defined by perfection. It’s defined by effort, progress and the courage to keep striving even when things get hard.”
Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph P. Macary both said the VRABE graduation is one of the best nights of the year.
“You didn’t take the straight road, but you got here,” Mayor Champagne said. “I love coming to this graduation because I know how hard you worked to get here. Just seeing you guys up here, you’ve made me proud.”
“The people who stand before you are not just graduates, they’re role models,” Dr. Macary told family and friends in the audience. “Today’s ceremony is a special one and it’s actually a highlight of the year. It’s a culmination of hard work, commitment to learning and dedication to lifelong learning.”
The graduates embody the Vernon Public Schools’ vision of the graduate: people who are critical thinkers, communicators, collaborators, responsible citizens and resilient individuals.
Ezra Estrada, one of two graduates who spoke Thursday night, said he should have graduated from high school with his class. He had supportive parents who gave him opportunities to succeed.
“Yet I started to slip,” he said. “Every time I felt I was regaining control I managed to lose it. That fact that I had no reason to fail but still did ate me alive. I had become so accustomed to failing that it overcame my vision of success.”
His parents did not give up on him. He decided to try again and went to VRABE.
“It wasn’t easy going back to school,” he said, “but I felt relief when I met so many kind and welcoming faces. It’s rare to find people who are so devoted to the success of others.”
Emily Haslam, who also spoke, said losing her grandfather during the pandemic then having her father become seriously ill was too much to handle. School fell by the wayside. She dropped out of high school. Then a family friend told her about the adult education program.
Emily Haslam
“VRABE gave me the flexibility, support and community I needed to keep going,” she said. “For that, I am forever grateful.” The teachers, administrators and staff of VRABE provided guidance, patience and encouragement.
“You didn’t just teach me, you believed in me,” she said.
Haslam told her fellow graduates that while they followed different paths, they reached the finish line together.
“I’m proud of each and every one of you,” she said. “Our diplomas represent resilience, growth and hope. And I can’t wait to see where we all go from here.”
A Vernon man who earned his diploma Tuesday, Andrew Curtis, 23, said he was on track to graduate from Rockville High School in 2020, but was knocked off course by remote learning during the pandemic. He said his family had just moved back to Vernon and did not have Wi-Fi in their home.
Emily Haslam
“VRABE gave me the flexibility, support and community I needed to keep going,” she said. “For that, I am forever grateful.” The teachers, administrators and staff of VRABE provided guidance, patience and encouragement.
“You didn’t just teach me, you believed in me,” she said.
Haslam told her fellow graduates that while they followed different paths, they reached the finish line together.
“I’m proud of each and every one of you,” she said. “Our diplomas represent resilience, growth and hope. And I can’t wait to see where we all go from here.”
A Vernon man who earned his diploma Tuesday, Andrew Curtis, 23, said he was on track to graduate from Rockville High School in 2020, but was knocked off course by remote learning during the pandemic. He said his family had just moved back to Vernon and did not have Wi-Fi in their home.
Andrew Curtis and VRABE Teacher of the Year Heather Lehninger-Jackson
He said he still wanted to earn his diploma. He tried VRABE when it too was still remote, but it did not work for him. When in-person learning resumed, he signed up.
He said he could not have succeeded without Heather Lehninger-Jackson, a VRABE teacher who was honored as the program’s Teacher of the Year Tuesday night.
Curtis said Lehninger-Jackson provided that immediate feedback and classroom experience that he needed. When he asked a question, he got an answer, and did not have to wait for an email or text message. “Every time I had question, she was there to answer it,” he said.
Curtis said his next step is to return to school to become an HVAC technician.
VRABE offers a variety of programs to a large portion of eastern Connecticut and Wethersfield. It is open to adults 17 or older and offers diploma programs, assistance with employability skills, literacy skills, English speaking and writing assistance, citizenship study programs and college prep. For more information about what VRABE can do for you, visit www.vrabe.com.