Student speaker Yeison Ramirez Mendez
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Twenty-four Rio Salado College students were inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society (NAEHS) during a ceremony on March 5, 2026.
The society’s mission is to recognize outstanding adult education students while raising awareness of adult education, improving employment opportunities for learners, and developing student ambassadors for local programs.
In her welcome remarks, Dr. Sarah Vandermark, Rio Salado College’s vice president of student affairs, emphasized the unique contributions each learner brings to the classroom.
“Tonight is a reminder that while resources and programs matter, what really makes the difference is people,” Vandermark said.
“Some of you joined Rio Salado’s adult education program to prepare for your high school equivalency. Others are here to learn English. Different goals brought all of you here, but the purpose underneath it is the same—you are building a future for yourself and those around you.”
Vandermark also noted the benefits of diverse students coming together to learn from one another.
“Our students come from around the world and bring different languages, cultures and perspectives that enrich the learning experience for everyone,” Vandermark said. “We don’t just recognize and acknowledge differences. We learn from them, celebrate them and unite around a shared goal to be empowered and reinvigorated through learning.”
Meet Student Speaker Yeison Ramirez Mendez
Yeison Ramirez Mendez, a student from Rio Salado College’s Thomas location, served as the ceremony’s student speaker.
“Being an adult learner means much more than attending classes,” Ramirez Mendez said. “It means balancing work, responsibilities, fears and hopes. It means studying even when you are exhausted and choosing, again and again, not to give up.”
Never giving up is a motto Ramirez Mendez embraces. Growing up in Venezuela, he faced challenges such as gang violence, economic insecurity and an uncertain future. However, the influence of being raised by his education-savvy grandparents left an even bigger mark.
“They instilled in me values of respect, perseverance and hard work,” Ramirez Mendez said. “Their belief in the power of education opened a doorway for me and set me on my first path toward learning.”
His grandparents arranged for a tutor, Carlos, to help nurture their grandson’s curiosity.
“I was fascinated by his enormous collection of books and grateful for the chance to explore so many ideas,” Ramirez Mendez said. “Through Carlos, I began to see a trajectory I hadn’t noticed before—one that carried me from curiosity to possibility.”
In 2016, conditions in Venezuela began to change.
“I saw my country rewriting its own history, controlling what people could read and silencing voices that dared to disagree,” Ramirez Mendez said. “During that time, it became almost impossible to study. Schools closed, teachers went on strike and the cost of living made daily life a challenge.”
What frightened him most, though, was the thought of a life where thinking freely was dangerous.
“In that silence, I came to understand that words are not only powerful: they are acts of courage, carriers of truth and protectors of memory,” Ramirez Mendez said. “That realization made me value truth and education more deeply than ever before.”
Eventually, Ramirez Mendez left Venezuela to pursue a new life.
“When I finally arrived in the United States, I faced a new challenge: a language that felt like a wall,” Ramirez Mendez said. “I didn’t understand English. Everyday tasks, like reading signs or talking to people, were intimidating. But I decided to keep going.”
He began taking English language classes through Rio Salado College’s adult education program and slowly found a new world opening up around him.
“At Rio Salado, I found the opportunity to rebuild my path,” Ramirez Mendez said. “Little by little, I discovered that words could build bridges between languages, cultures and hearts. Learning English became my map to navigate a new world.”
In addition to his classes, Ramirez Mendez has completed a career training course delivered in English. He plans to continue his education to pursue his dream of becoming a certified arborist and starting his own business.
“As I move forward, I am committed to continuing this journey with the support of Rio Salado College,” Ramirez Mendez said. “I will keep working with my career navigator at the Thomas location to pursue career-focused training and explore future college-level opportunities.”
He concluded his remarks by celebrating his fellow inductees and their accomplishments.
“I want to congratulate all my fellow inductees for your hard work and dedication,” Ramirez Mendez said. “Every person here has their own story, but today we prove that what matters most is not where we come from—it’s where we choose to go.”