MESA, AZ — More than 500 young Arizonans celebrated a milestone they once believed was out of reach: receiving their high school diplomas.
Each cap and gown at the Grad Solutions Class of 2026 ceremony represented a different story. Some were stories of resilience, others of recovery, but all showed what can happen when students refuse to give up.
For Fidel Ramos, earning his diploma meant finding a new path after being expelled from school.
“I had to redo everything again. Math, English, everything,” Ramos said.
Later, Ramos decided he wanted to join the military, but he learned that he first needed to finish high school.
“Do you have your high school diploma? Well, no. You need to do that first, they said,” Ramos said.
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Walking across the graduation stage was especially meaningful because his family was there to watch.
“My mom is here, my brother is here, my cousins are here,” Ramos said. “Seeing a smile on their face, knowing that I am going to give a speech, I’m going to walk today, it just makes me happy.”
For fellow graduate Rubi Esquer, becoming a mother at 17 led her to drop out of high school.
“It was definitely a hard choice to make in life, for sure,” Esquer said.
But taking care of her son also became her motivation to finish what she started.
“I just wanted to show him that just because you drop out doesn’t mean you can’t finish,” Esquer said. “You can always strive to do better and to do more in life.”
With diplomas now in hand, graduates are looking toward careers, college, military service and other opportunities.
But during the ceremony, the future could wait one more moment. All took a moment to celebrate how far they had already come.
“Everyone has their own story,” Esquer said. “But thanks to Grad Solutions, they gave us this second chance, this second opportunity to accomplish what we needed to accomplish.”
Grad Solutions is free for Arizona residents between the ages of 16 and 21 who have dropped out of high school. You can find more information about Grad Solutions and Smart Schools here.
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