Nearly 100 adults earn high school diplomas through PCC's free program

Stephanie Castaneda, a mother and grandmother in her 40s, stood in front of her fellow graduates on June 5 and told them what they already knew: the path to a high school diploma had not been easy.

Nearly 100 adult learners earned diplomas through Pasadena City College's tuition-free Adult High School Diploma program this year, according to ColoradoBoulevard.net's coverage of the 39th annual commencement ceremony. About 50 graduates walked in the outdoor quad of PCC's Community Education Center on Foothill Boulevard, joined by cheering family members and professors.

Castaneda plans to transfer into the college's credit program to study speech-language pathology. She was one of two student speakers at the ceremony.

The other, Thelma Orellana, became emotional as she addressed the crowd.

"It might have been easy for many, but for us, it wasn't," Orellana said. "For me, it took 26 years."

Orellana spoke about the anxiety of returning to school and the resilience required to finish her diploma while making ends meet. She, too, plans to continue at PCC's credit campus on Colorado Boulevard.

Francisco Suarez, dean of Noncredit and Adult Education, delivered the welcome address and noted that each graduate had overcome challenges to reach the stage. Wendy Ince, who has taught science in the program since 2006, said the achievement carries particular weight for students in their 40s, 50s, and older who feel out of place in a classroom.

Ince recalled one class that celebrated a student's 80th birthday, illustrating the program's wide age range.

How the program works

PCC's Adult High School Diploma program is approved by the California Community College Chancellor's Office, and diplomas are issued by the Pasadena Area Community College District. Courses cover natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, humanities, English, mathematics, and electives. There are no tuition or enrollment fees; students pay only for textbooks, materials, and parking.

The Noncredit Division, based at 3035 E. Foothill Blvd., also offers GED preparation, English as a Second Language, career technical education, parent education, and programs for older adults and adults with disabilities.