Adult students receive a high school equivalent diploma

RALEIGH, NC (May 6, 2023) – Graduation is always a milestone, but it was especially special for 60 brave seniors who overcame challenges and got a second chance at high school.

Wake Tech’s Adult High School (AHS), High School Equivalency Program (HSEP) and High School Equivalency Program (HEP) students were honored today at a graduation ceremony at the college’s Scott Northern Wake campus.

Families and friends proudly cheered on the graduates as they returned to school to earn their high school diplomas. For many, especially those raising and supporting families, success was not an easy road and required many sacrifices.

Student speakers Naomi Rivera, Juliana Gissendaner and Aldrin Hernandez addressed the graduates and encouraged them to continue to believe in themselves and continue their educational journey.

When Rivera dropped out of high school, she was in foster care as a teenager, battling depression and anxiety. Four years ago, she came to Wake Tech’s adult education program scared but eager to improve her life.

“I needed eight credits and I didn’t even know where or how to start, but walking into a classroom and seeing other people out there doing the same thing inspired me. “You had about 40 students and students as young as 16. We all had different stories of getting there, but we were all on the same mission.”

She asked her graduates to make their dreams come true. “You’re the biggest critic,” Rivera said. “Don’t let this voice hold you back from what you are meant to be in this world.

Gissendanner dropped out of school at age 14 when her family became homeless. “In the beginning, I didn’t realize how important it was for me to study because I was more concerned with my immediate needs, which was to survive,” she said.

As a teenager and later a young single mother, Gissendanner worked multiple jobs to support her family. All this time, she knew that a high school diploma would open up opportunities for a better life, but she never believed that she would be able to successfully complete the program.

With the support of her Wake Tech teachers and her church family, she overcame her fears and made her dream of a high school education come true. She is still trying to decide on a career path but has her eyes on Wake Tech’s human service technology or cosmetology program.

“I can go to college, get an education, and get a career! There’s nothing in my way now, and that’s a great feeling.

Wake Tech offers year-round adult education programs for students to complete their high school credentials. Students complete a high school equivalency credential as they pass official tests in the key subject areas of reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Tuition-free preparatory courses are offered online, and students can work at their own pace.

Through funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the college provides the training necessary to earn a high school equivalency credential for immigrant and seasonal farmers and their families through the HEP program.

Learn more about obtaining a high school equivalency credential and adult basic education programs at Wake Tech.

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