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Take 5 + 3 - June 2026 - Graduation Edition
- Jun 30
- 6 min read
This is our annual "Graduation Edition" to highlight the different types of students graduating at county offices of education across the state. Featuring students overcoming adversity to those forging their career path, you do not want to miss a single story featured below! In fact, they were so good, we had to add a few extra feel good stories to this edition. What a highlight of the year for our county superintendents to be able to celebrate success with students on to the next chapter in their lives. In this special edition, we truly take you from the top of the state to the bottom, making some stops along the way. Congrats to all of the 2026 COE graduates!
Graduation Focus: Adult Education Students
As a member of the Adult Education Pathways (AEP) Consortium, the Siskiyou County Office of Education joined partner agencies in celebrating a historic milestone: the consortium's first-ever graduation ceremony, honoring six adult school graduates from across Siskiyou County.
The event brought together graduates, families, educators, and community partners to honor the determination, resilience, and accomplishments of adult learners who reached this important educational milestone. Each of the six graduates was recognized for their achievement and the unique journey that brought them to graduation. Their success reflects the dedication required to balance education with work, family, and other responsibilities, as well as the support provided through adult education programs across the county.
As the first consortium-wide graduation in AEP Consortium history, the ceremony represented more than a celebration of six graduates—it marked the beginning of a new tradition recognizing the life-changing impact of adult education and the collective efforts of partners throughout Siskiyou County to create pathways for student success.
Graduation Focus: County Community Charter Student
Glenn County Office of Education is proud to highlight Lane Niblack, an 18-year-old graduate of William Finch County Community Charter School who has earned national recognition as a competitive shotgun shooter.
Lane credits William Finch for supporting both his athletic and academic pursuits, noting that the school's flexible scheduling allowed him to balance his shooting commitments with his studies. His advice to aspiring athletes: stay focused, practice consistently, keep up with your homework, and never give up.
Lane recently received an acceptance letter from Midland University in Nebraska, where he will join the shotgun team on a scholarship valued at $30,000 per year. He plans to study business while competing at the collegiate level.
Graduation Focus: Alternative Education and Special Education Students
The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) recently celebrated its Class of 2026 with two graduation ceremonies honoring students from specialized programs.
Amarosa Academy, which serves students who have faced challenges in traditional high school settings, recognized four graduates who earned their diplomas.
SCOE's Transition program, which supports students aged 18–22 who receive special education services, honored 14 graduates during a ceremony held at SCOE. Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter and the Sonoma County Board of Education attended both ceremonies. "The students who graduate from SCOE's programs have overcome a wide range of challenges to earn their diplomas," Carter said. "Celebrating with them is one of the best parts of being county superintendent."
Graduation Focus: Special Education Students
At the Special Education Programs Commencement Ceremony in San Joaquin County, each graduate spent more than a moment in the limelight while teachers took turns at the microphone to share personal stories and memories. Family members and supporters cheered on the Class of 2026 through the speeches, photo montages, and presentation of certificates at the ceremony.
The annual commencement ceremony celebrates students in both the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) and Tracy Unified School District young adult programs. Students graduate when the reach the age of 22, the maximum age to receive public education. For many families, graduation marks the end of a years-long relationship with their programs.
Pictured below, student Mateo is all smiles at the commencement ceremony!
Graduation Focus: Parenting Teen School Student
Alameda County Office of Education student, Yolanda, came to Carolyn Hobbs Academy as a 19-year-old and new mom. She had been attending a local high school in Oakland for two years as a newcomer and was doing well. But, she became pregnant and could not go to school and work, and pay for daycare. She was left in the difficult position of needing to drop out. Yolanda only needed ~ 20 credits to graduate high school, so she spent two quarters at Hobbs Academy while working full time.
ACOE structures their unique alternative schools with the programs and services needed specifically for the students they serve. Opening Hobbs Academy was a creative, intentional effort to advance ACOE’s mission of equipping their most vulnerable students and those who serve them with the tools to thrive. Hobbs was built around a high-quality childcare partnership for their students’ infants and toddlers.
This is a powerful example of ACOE standing firm in service of youth — meeting students where they are, responding to their unique needs, and creating classrooms that feel safe, welcoming, and supportive.
Yolanda is pictured below with her daughter, Estrella, the cutest graduate of them all.
Graduation Focus: Lavendar Graduation Students
Students from across Santa Clara County gathered for the county's first Lavender Graduation, a ceremony honoring LGBTQ+ graduates and their journeys to this milestone. The event was part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the County of Santa Clara's Office of LGBTQ Affairs and brought together students, families, educators, and community partners in a spirit of affirmation and belonging. Graduates received certificates and special regalia, including a lavender and rainbow stole and cord.
The Santa Clara County Office of Education, the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, and San Jose State University's Queer Hope Institute collaborated to plan the event, reflecting a shared commitment to ensuring all young people feel seen, supported, and valued.
While Lavender Graduations have traditionally been held in higher education settings, bringing the ceremony to high school graduates marked a meaningful step forward in recognizing LGBTQ+ students as they transition to their next chapter.
Graduation Focus: Alternative Education Students
Students in the Kern County Superintendent of Schools' RISE program (Reaching Individual Success through Education) marked a major milestone at their Class of 2026 graduation ceremony, celebrating not just diplomas but the resilience it took to earn them. RISE serves students across Kern County who were unsuccessful in traditional school settings.
Two student speakers captured the spirit of the day. Jazzmine Saenz, who will be the first high school graduate in her family, spoke candidly about losing both parents, experiencing incarceration, and living in poverty. "A moment does not define a lifetime," she told her fellow graduates. She plans to continue her education at Bakersfield College after earning workforce certifications through the JobsPlus program.
Esteban Hurtado Hernandez, once so withdrawn he rarely spoke to others, took the stage to remind graduates that their perseverance, not perfection, was worth celebrating. "Today, we celebrate the decision to keep going when giving up felt justified," he said.
Graduation Focus: Diploma Recovery Student
At 82 years old, U.S. Navy veteran Robert Marshall Vincent finally received the high school diploma that had eluded him for more than six decades, courtesy of the San Diego County Board of Education.
Vincent attended Hilltop High School before leaving in 1961 to serve eight years in the Navy, with assignments spanning Naval Station North Island, Guantanamo Bay, the USS Intrepid, and the Coral Sea. Though he earned his GED while stationed in Cuba, he remained a few credits short of an actual diploma.
When he learned about the San Diego County Office of Education's Operation Recognition program, which awards honorary diplomas to veterans and Japanese American residents whose education was interrupted by war or military service, he applied immediately. "I heard about it on TV one night," he said. "I thought, why not."
Vincent entered the June 10 board meeting to Pomp and Circumstance, dressed in a cap and gown while surrounded by family, and received a standing ovation from a packed room. San Diego County Superintendent Dr. Gloria E. Ciriza presented his diploma and invited him to move his tassel in the traditional graduation custom.
"It is an honor to recognize you," she said. "Congratulations."
