Schools
Riverside County High School Graduates a Record 400 Students
Graduates include those enrolled in Cal-SAFE, an alternative education program for pregnant or parenting students offered in Murrieta, Hemet and Moreno Valley.
A record 400 students in alternative education programs will receive diplomas from the Riverside County Office of Education this year, including 250 diplomas awarded Tuesday night at the Riverside County High School Commencement held at the Grove Community Church in Riverside.
“My challenge to you is to never give up,” Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Young told graduates. “With perseverance, all things are possible.”
This year’s graduating class included a record number of 240 students who earned diplomas from the Come Back Kids (CBK) program—a 41 percent increase over last year and 10 times the number of students enrolled when the program started four years ago. The program gives high school dropouts a chance to finish high school and earn a diploma.
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“This is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life,” said Come Back Kids graduate Daniel Carrillo, who went from being a drop out to a graduate with plans to attend college. He plans to become a sign language interpreter.
Estrella Rivas was going to drop out when a high school counselor suggested Come Back Kids. With her high school diploma, she is going on to Riverside Community College in Moreno Valley and will take business courses. “This has been my No. 1 goal,” she said.
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Graduates at the Commencement included students from Court and Community, Cal-SAFE, Special Education and Independent Study classes in addition to Come Back Kids.
Schools represented at the ceremony included Arlington Regional Learning Center, Betty G. Gibbel Regional Learning Center, F.H. Butterfield School, Grindstaff Community School, Jurupa Community School, Lake Elsinore Planet Youth, Moreno Valley Regional Learning Center, Riverside Youth Opportunity Center, Rubidoux Youth Opportunity Center, Southwest Center for Learning, Temecula Community School, Val Verde Regional Learning Center, and the Van Horn Youth Center. Students from the Project Search/Riverside Community Hospital were also included, as well as Cal-SAFE programs at Hemet, Moreno Valley, Murrieta and Norte Vista high schools.
—Submitted by Rick Peoples, spokesperson for Riverside County Office of Education
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