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It was a night of well-deserved applause and accolades as Rio Salado honored the 348 graduates who earned High School Equivalency (HSE) diplomas at the annual HSE graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the North Phoenix Baptist Church.
Watch a replay of the HSE graduation ceremony on our YouTube Channel.
Of that 348-strong cohort, 178 graduates walked the stage on the 18th to claim their diplomas. Dr. Melissa Carpenter, Rio Salado's Associate Dean of Instruction and Community Development, served as the emcee for the ceremony. After some brief opening words and a performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” by Candice Chavez while the Color Guard stood at attention onstage, the 178 graduates entered the North Phoenix Baptist Church adorned in blue robes. The energy in the room was lively yet respectful as Rio Salado College President Dr. Kate Smith took to the podium to speak on the importance of gratitude and tenacity.
Calling the graduation "a complete celebration of amazing successes by each of our graduates," Smith quoted a moving passage by Harriet Tubman: "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
Smith was followed by Maricopa Community Colleges District governing board member Dr. Linda Thor, who expressed her admiration for the determination of Rio’s graduates.
“You had the choice to persist or give up and you chose the more difficult but infinitely more rewarding option,” Thor said. “This ceremony signifies the opening of many new doors to you.”
Beverly Wilson, the Arizona Department of Education's State Director for Adult Education, also shared words of praise and inspiration to impart on this year’s graduates.
"Each of you made a commitment to continue your education while you juggled jobs, children, families, and other responsibilities," Wilson said. "You transformed those challenges into opportunities and you let them shape you but you did not let them define you. You're defined by your success."
The last two speakers came from the student body. Graduate Vanessa Tulley spoke movingly about overcoming substance abuse through her faith and the support of her partner and family, and how that same support network that helped her achieve sobriety encouraged her to continue her education.
“I didn’t choose Rio Salado,” Tulley said with a smile. “Rio Salado chose me.”
Fellow graduate Juan Jesus Ramirez talked about the anxieties and self-doubt that almost prevented him from going back to school until he tapped into “the quiet fire that compelled me to come back.”
Following the moving speeches by Tulley and Ramirez, the HSE graduates were called up to receive their hard-earned diplomas.
Many of this year's graduates earned additional distinctions and recognitions. Of the 348 graduates:
- 253 completed an Integrated Education and Training (IET) program, earning a career-ready certificate in areas such as applied technology; business, entrepreneurialism, and management; computer and information technology; and health sciences;
- 12 were inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society; and
- Two completed the Adult ACE program.
Want to take the next step toward your high school equivalency diploma? Get started this fall with Rio Salado’s Adult Education program.
Article by Austin Brietta