PCC to Celebrate High School Equivalency Graduates at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall

Tucson, AZ – Pima Community College will celebrate this year's High School Equivalency graduates in a ceremony at 6:30 p.m., June 6, at the Tucson Convention Center Linda Ronstadt Music Hall. The one-hour ceremony will be live-streamed via the PCCTV Stream YouTube for family, friends, fellow students and community members to watch live if they are unable to attend. The ceremony honors those who earned their Arizona High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma either by passing the GED® test or through one of the other AZ-approved HSE pathways.

What: PCC Adult Basic Education for College & Career celebrates students receiving an HSE diploma
When: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 6, 2024
Where: Tucson Convention Center Linda Ronstadt Music Hall for graduates, guests and media. The event will also be live streamed on PCCTV Stream YouTube
Details: Approximately 90 graduates will walk in the ceremony. Graduates will be available for interviews with media

At the event, HSE graduates Arnold Montiel Jr. and Aretha Varner will share their stories of success and how returning to education to earn a High School Equivalency diploma changed their lives.

Arnold left school in 1976 to work and support his mother and siblings after a family tragedy. He worked in construction for many years but had to stop due to several injuries. In 2019, while recovering from back surgery in the hospital, he decided it was time to return to school and earn his HSE diploma to pursue career opportunities that wouldn’t involve physical labor.

Arnold was a Student Ambassador for Adult Basic Education and was a member of the Adult Education Honor Society. This year, he was named the 2024 Student of the Year by the Arizona Association for Lifelong Learners and Essential Education.

Arnold's leadership journey continues as he transitions into college coursework at PCC, serving as Chair of Pima’s Student Senate. He plans to pursue a career pathway that serves others and helps them reach their goals.

Aretha left school in 1988 at 15 years old to become a mother. She went on to raise a family of five and worked hard to support their needs. In 2018, she moved to Tucson and found out about PCC’s free classes to help students prepare to earn a High School Equivalency Diploma. She enrolled in Pima’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (IBEST) certificate program and was able to pursue her HSE Diploma while also working towards a college certificate. Aretha earned a certificate in Logistics & Supply Chain Management, an IT Support Technician Certificate, and is close to completing her Associate’s Degree in Computer Science. She plans to transfer to the University of Arizona, a dream she once thought unattainable.

About Adult Education at Pima

For 55 years, Pima’s Adult Basic Education for College and Career has played a critical role in promoting adult education in the community. Each year, it helps thousands of adult students who need to strengthen their basic literacy and math skills, improve their English, study for a High School Equivalency diploma, and prepare for college and career.

For more information about Adult Basic Education for College and Career classes, email

adulted@pima.edu, call 520-206-7330 or visit pima.edu/adulted.

Contact:

Laurie Kierstead-Joseph
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Adult Basic Education for College & Career
520-206-6187
lkierstead@pima.edu

Wendy Scheder Black
Director, College & Career Transitions and Partnerships, Adult Basic Education for College & Career
520-206-6102
wscheder@pima.edu