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More than 50 honored at SCC’s Adult High School graduation ceremony

2016-06-28
Yanez smiling with her two children
Crystal Yanez of Cullowhee poses with her daughters Emily (left) and Maria after SCC’s Adult High School graduation ceremony on June 8 in Sylva.  

Instructor Cynthia Burke clearly remembers when Crystal Yanez started working toward her High School Equivalency through Southwestern Community College’s Educational Opportunities department.

“Crystal was raising two children of her own, and she also cared for her sister’s two children,” Burke recalled recently. “Even with all that, she was conscientious about coming to class. She was essentially raising four kids, and there were times she had to put them first. But she would always get her work done from home.”

Yanez had grown up in Sylva and attended Jackson County Public Schools until her junior year in high school, when she dropped out after getting pregnant.

Eager to change her circumstance, though, she enrolled in SCC’s High School Equivalency preparation courses in the fall of 2014. She took some college classes for free through SCC’s Basic Skills Plus and had several hours of college credit by the time she earned her High School Equivalency and Adult High School Diploma in May of 2015.

She’s now pursuing her associate degree in human services technology at Southwestern and served as the student speaker at the college’s Adult High School graduation on June 8 at the Jackson Campus.
 
“Time has been the biggest challenge for me,” said Yanez, whose children are now four and eight years old. “I’ve had to manage my time wisely. I stay up late to get my studies done, and I have to find time for my kids too. It’s not easy to arrange childcare and make time for studies, but it can be done."

“It’s not about where you have been or your background; it’s about where you’re going,” Yanez added. “With hard work and dedication, anything is possible.”

Yanez was among more than 50 graduates honored during the ceremony.

SCC’s Educational Opportunities department also offers job and career preparation, English as a second language and other services throughout SCC’s service area.

“If your high school education was interrupted for any reason, we’re here to offer you a fresh start,” said Debbie Smith, Educational Opportunities director at SCC. “Students have started here without a high school diploma, and they went on to earn doctoral degrees. No matter what your educational goals may be, we can help.”

For more information about Educational Opportunities at SCC, contact Smith at 828.339.4361 or d_smith@southwesterncc.edu.
 

Student and president smiling
Crystal Yanez (left) of Cullowhee receives her High School Equivalency and Adult High School diploma from Dr. Don Tomas, SCC president, on June 8 at the college’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.
Students standing and smiling
Jackson County residents honored during SCC’s Adult High School graduation ceremony on June 8 in Sylva include, front row, from left: Rebekah Wheatley of Sylva, Kristina Ramey of Sylva, Lisa Pruett of Sylva and Crystal Yanez of Cullowhee. Back row: Tim Frady of Sylva, Brian Strickland of Cullowhee, Tobius Brady of Sylva and Alex Hutt of Sylva.
Macon County residents honored during SCC’s Adult High School graduation on June 8 in Sylva include, front row, from left: Carl McKinley of Franklin, Claudia Lewis of Franklin, Haley Arriaga of Franklin and Angela Fetrat of Franklin. Back row: Jessica Johnson of Franklin, Raphael Fetrat of Franklin, Gabriel Fetrat of Franklin, Ricky Powell of Franklin, Amy Pedigo of Franklin and Casey White of Otto.
Student speaking into microphone
Crystal Yanez of Cullowhee addresses fellow graduates during SCC’s Adult High School Graduation on June 8 at the college’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.

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