After a few false starts, a mother finally earns her high school diploma
After a life of being an eager starter and not too great of a finisher, Denise Martinez found a new spark after completing one of her most significant accomplishments: completion of her high school diploma at the Lompoc Adult School and Career Center (LASCC).
LASCC offers a free and flexible high school diploma program that can be completed entirely online. The program offers one-on-one support, career and job search assistance and college transition assistance.
After working at most of the fast-food restaurants in town, Martinez wanted better career options; she tried to enroll at Allan Hancock College but quickly learned that she couldn’t without that high school diploma.
“In my life, I never really finished things. Being able to complete adult school here in Lompoc was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.”
Denise Martinez, Graduate, Lompoc Adult School and Career Center
In 2018, Martinez made her first attempt to complete her high school diploma at LASCC but an expanding family and a global pandemic kept her from finishing. In 2021, she refocused and finally completed what she set out to do, graduating in 2022.
“In my life, I never really finished things,” Martinez says. “Being able to complete adult school here in Lompoc was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.”
Martinez is thrilled she got to provide an example for her eldest son, who graduated from Lompoc High the same year she received her diploma. Despite some differences in their coursework due to the adult school’s accelerated schedule, mother and son were able to help guide each other. It helped her keep going even as she juggled multiple responsibilities.
“I’m a full-time student, an employee, a mom and a wife,” she says. “There are lot of roles that I have to play.”
“We were studying the same math course and we were able to help each other get through that course together,” Martinez says.
Today, Martinez is enrolled at Allan Hancock, where she’s studying computer science and working as a library technician. Her son is also continuing to work on his dream of becoming and architect. While finishing her diploma was step number one, Martinez says she determined to finish the ultimate goal. She credits her son with finding the motivation to keep going.
“He’s my biggest inspiration, seeing him grow and mature into this and follow his dreams is what inspired me to follow mine,” she says.
To learn more about the Lompoc Adult School and Career Center, visit https://adulteducation.lusd.org/.
Written by Chris Woodard
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| South Coast California | High School |
