In a small ceremony at a local park, women enthusiastically cheered for one another and many gave powerful speeches about the impact that the classes had on their life this year. These women proved that no matter your age, it’s never too late to invest in yourself.

Our graduation celebrations are looking a little different this year due to the pandemic. Our Adult Education team opted for a small, outdoor, socially-distanced and masked gathering. It was a sweet reunion, full of tear-jerking moments as we celebrated the hard work and accomplishments of the women in our Adult Education Program.

My name is Griselda Hernández García, but I also go by Gray. I am from Mexico. I moved to Oregon back in 2006 at 19 years old with a 2-year-old daughter. I had no family here so it was difficult to start working and learning to drive. At that time, I wanted to return to school but felt like it was impossible since I had to work to support both my little girl and I.