It's a day of celebration and reflection as students from County Community Schools shared their remarkable journeys of overcoming challenges to graduate high school. During the Operation Graduation reception, Lucia Huerta spoke about how the La Brea Independent School supported her after her brother got into a serious accident.

“I was supposed to be class of 2023 but I was held back because my brother was in a really bad accident and La Brea helped me a lot to push forward and to keep trying to finish school. And because of them I’m going to keep following my dreams and I’m going to stay in school for me and my family,” said Huerta.

Darcel McBroom came to cheer on her granddaughter Zyon. McBroom said Zyon went through a difficult period after losing a family member. She’s grateful to the staff at Jonas Salk High School, social workers, probation officials and court officials for not giving up on Zyon and making it possible for Zyon to reach this milestone.

Dr. Debra Duardo acknowledged that not every student took the traditional path to complete school, but she reminded them that the support they receive extends beyond graduation. “I hope you know that all the people that have supported you will continue to support you and that you continue to reach out because we want to see you succeed and we know that you will.”

During the ceremony, several graduates also shared their aspirations for the future. Christinnay Outlaw is setting her sight on Loyola Marymount to pursue a career as a lawyer. Jocelyn Burgos wants to become a social worker to advocate for others in her community.

Congratulations to all the graduates as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.