Nearly 160 EPIC High School Graduates Celebrate Milestone Accomplishments, Triumphs
By Stephen Lynch and Sahid Fawaz
Photos courtesy of students and their families
You could feel the excitement in the air as some 160 EPIC de Cesar Chavez High School adults celebrated at graduation ceremonies around the state, capping off years of hard work, grueling schedules, and good old-fashioned grit in honor of their huge achievements.
The 2024 graduation ceremonies took place between June 17-24 at seven locations – from Yuba City to Indio and FIELD school sites like Bakersfield and Atwater in between. As they walked across the stage to accept their diploma, each flashed a huge smile, celebrating their accomplishments to cheers and applause from their families and friends.
Bakersfield Graduates
The Bakersfield ceremony, which took place at Cal State Bakersfield, was a long time coming for the 65 graduates and their educational journeys. Many had to overcome difficult obstacles to earn the right to don bright green caps and gowns and celebrate the milestone event with family and friends.
Nearly all of the students, ranging in age from 18 to 50+, were Latino immigrants who had to learn English as a second language. Many came from backgrounds where they were bounced between the United States and Latin America, making it difficult for them to establish roots in the American school system.
Others had to start working at an early age to help support their families. And some dropped out of high school as teenagers for a variety of reasons. While each student had a unique story to tell, they all demonstrated the resiliency needed to overcome obstacles and make it to the finish line.
Student after student said they were inspired by their experience and planned to apply to attending college to further their hopes and dreams of a bright future.
Epic High School, which operates under the umbrella of the Farmworkers Institute of Education & Leadership Development (FIELD), also handed out certificates of completion to two dozen Career Technical Education Completers during the 90-minute ceremony.
The event featured a flag salute, recital of the Poem of the Farmworker Struggle, and poignant speeches by students Daniela Alejandro Contreras Portillo and Samantha Jarely Gil.
As the key evening’s keynote speaker, KCCD Trustee Jovani Jimenez, delivered a thoughtful message, encouraging graduates to, “remember to always follow your passion. It’s the fuel to drive you to great heights.”
After the ceremony, EPIC principal Jaime Quinonez explained that students must attend classes in-person with direct instruction and computer lab sessions. Going to school on a regular basis isn’t always easy for these students.
“Some are working,” Quinonez said. “Some have families. Some are single parents. So, they really work hard to get their diploma.”
Quinonez believes receiving a high school diploma is well worth the students’ struggles. “Once you have your high school education, that opens the doors to a lot more things,” Quinonez said. “Job opportunities. Going to a two-year or four-year college. So, this is huge for them.”
The graduation ceremony was particularly huge for Oscar Fernando Gonzalez-Betancourt and his wife, who both received their high school diplomas. The 46-year-old father of five and grandfather of eight was kicked out of school several times during his teenage years.
His wife also struggled with high school as a teenager. “We learned from our failures and grew up after that,” Gonzalez-Betancourt said.
He and his family moved to Kern County six years ago. Gonzalez-Betancourt currently works as a dental provider for a health care office. He says that it was his wife who pushed him to go back to school. “It was an achievement we both wanted to do,” Gonzalez-Betancourt said. “We try to give our children the right way to move forward with school.”
Gonzalez-Betancourt now wants to get a master’s degree.
He’s not the only one that graduated that evening who wants to continue with their education.
Beatriz Juarez plans on going to college to learn medical billing. The 36-year-old was in foster care almost her entire childhood and dropped out of school in 10th grade when she got involved with drugs.
But after having three children by age 24, Juarez decided to change. “I knew I had to make a difference in order for my kids to have someone to look up to,” she said. Her children are also a big reason that she decided to go back to school.
“I wanted to be proud of myself,” Juarez said. “I wanted to motivate my kids and show them that at any age, at any time in your life you can do something. You just have to be dedicated.”
Reyna Gutierrez, also 36-years old, dropped out of high school during her senior year. She currently works at EPIC de Cesar Chavez and was encouraged by people there to finish high school.
“It opens the door so I can go to college now,” Gutierrez said. “I can now say that’s an option and it didn’t used to be that way…I always made it seem like a big deal, like it was something big for me to finish. Now that I did it and it’s over with, I’m so glad I did it.”
That sentiment could be seen in the joyful facial expressions of all the 2024 EPIC de Cesar Chavez graduates after the ceremonies as they spent time happily taking photos with their families.
Atwater Graduates
In Atwar, another 12 FIELD excited EPIC students were holding their own graduation ceremony at the Buhach Colony High School — ten women and two men, ranging in age from 30 to 45 who were finally realizing their dream.
“We’re all so proud — the administration and teachers — of all the students for their hard work and dedication,” noted Maria Segovia, Regional Operations Officer.
Several of the students faced exceptional challenges leading up to that night. One graduate worked in the field full-time, and still managed to make it to every class and graduate, she noted.
Another student from Mexico, she explained, had never received any formal education because her traditional family didn’t believe that women should go to school. “She learned to read and write by herself,” Segovia marveled. “And she learned English by herself. She started school with zero credits and was a full-time employee and mom. She was persistent in her goals and made us all very proud.”
For these exceptional adults who defied all odds, graduation night was a night none of them will ever forget.
Click here for photos of the various graduation events around the state: https://www.flickr.com/photos/197206798@N03/albums/72177720318721986