Adult Grads Show Age Is No Barrier

Jose Palos Lucero carries his newborn daughter Catalina up to receive his GED diploma at the Castro Valley Adult & Career Education graduation ceremony.

Sometimes people get stuck on ideas of when things should happen, but life is rarely a straight line.  On May 30th, Castro Valley Adult & Career Education (CVACE) honored over 20 students who completed their GED or earned their high school diplomas at an inspiring commencement ceremony. Some students didn’t speak English as a first language. Some students had families to support and care for. Some faced medical issues and housing insecurity. They all did it. These students demonstrate the power of perseverance and that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.

Graduate Jose Palos Lucero talked about his journey. When he arrived in the United States from Mexico at age 14, he didn’t even realize he could attend school. “I thought I had two options: work and work.” He credits his wife with encouraging him to become the best person he could be and nearing 40 years old, he saw a flier for the adult school GED classes. He and his best friend challenged each other, and he started the program a year ago. When Jose found out his wife was pregnant, he knew he wanted to finish before the baby was born. He did and his adorable daughter was in his arms as he accepted his diploma. The crowd cheered.

It sounds easy, but as Jose and other graduates acknowledged, it took perseverance. Jose starts his work day at 5:30 in the morning and often arrived to his night classes very tired after a long day. Lack of self-confidence is probably the biggest block to people realizing their dreams but the supportive teachers at the adult school are true cheerleaders.  Jose said he failed a pre-test on Friday, but his teacher Ms. Dahlstedt said she thought he was ready.  He took the test on Saturday and passed. Many graduates thanked the teachers, counselors, and support staff that made this day possible by name and shared the specific ways they helped them succeed.  Graduate Kayin Bryan said, “Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.”  That’s the power of adult education teachers.

Are you someone who didn’t finish your education and are ready for a new beginning? Let us support you! If you want to finish your high school diploma or GED, contact Castro Valley Adult & Career Education at (510) 886-1000 or visit www.cvadult.org.