{"id":1618,"date":"2026-06-06T11:03:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=1618"},"modified":"2026-06-06T11:03:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:03:21","slug":"pima-community-college-celebrates-60-adult-high-school-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=1618","title":{"rendered":"Pima Community College celebrates 60 adult high school graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"
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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Adults who didn\u2019t finish high school are getting their diplomas through programs designed for second-chance learners, including a Pima Community College program.<\/p>\n

Read more New school for visually impaired students opening in Tucson<\/a><\/p>\n

Arizona has the lowest graduation rates in the country, but some adults are going back to get their degrees. Sixty adults graduated with high school equivalency diplomas at a ceremony at the Tucson Convention Center.<\/p>\n

When Benjamin Aron Martinez was 19 years old, he was shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, I was the victim of a drive-by shooting, and that kind of just made me steer off track,\u201d Martinez said.<\/p>\n

Martinez didn\u2019t finish high school and was in and out of prison.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was real ashamed of myself, I just couldn\u2019t get a handle, get a grip on life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Adult education offers second chances<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cNot everybody\u2019s early education experiences are positive. Or not everybody has the support they need to get all the way to the finish line the first time,\u201d said Laurie Kierstead-Joseph, PCC Adult Basic Education vice chancellor.<\/p>\n

The graduation rate in Arizona is 77 percent, the lowest in the country.<\/p>\n

Every year, around 4,800 Arizona adults earn high school equivalency diplomas, including hundreds in Pima County.<\/p>\n

Some, like Martinez, are Tucson natives. Others, like Mireya Escamilla, moved to Arizona from Mexico.<\/p>\n

Escamilla worked as a babysitter and housekeeper, but something was missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt lost because I was working with my hands and not my brain, my soul, myself,\u201d Escamilla said.<\/p>\n

Read more Men accused of stealing nearly $600,000 worth of electricity near one of NASCAR\u2019s iconic tracks<\/a><\/p>\n

Escamilla gained English skills through the adult education program 28 years ago. She now helps others do the same as the Assistant Program Coordinator.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdult Basic Education is very important for the community because we are helping students fulfill their dreams,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Martinez is now a full-time Pima student studying building and construction technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really wanted to do that, and I needed my GED or high school equivalency to go to college,\u201d he said before giving his graduation speech.<\/p>\n

You can learn more about the Adult Basic Education program HERE<\/b><\/u><\/i>.<\/p>\n

Isabela Lisco<\/b><\/u><\/i> is a <\/i>Report for America<\/b><\/u><\/i> corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and the <\/i>Arizona Local News Foundation\u2019s<\/b><\/u><\/i> Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.<\/i><\/p>\n

Are you streaming 13 News?<\/p>\n

Watch a free live stream of Tucson Now and 13 News at TucsonNow.Live.<\/p>\n

Be sure to download the free Tucson Now app, which you can find on Apple and Google.<\/p>\n

If you are using a desktop computer, you can use your mobile device to scan the QR code below.<\/p>\n

Read more Rebuilding North Rim\u2019s Grand Canyon Lodge could cost at least $600 million<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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