Colorado Mountain College Vail Valley high school diploma graduates celebrate year of hard work: ‘You guys are my heroes’
Degree-granting program offers instruction in English and Spanish, supporting graduates with jobs and families
Zoe Goldstein/Vail Daily
On Thursday, 10 students in Colorado Mountain College’s Vail Valley at Edwards high school equivalency, high school diploma and adult high school diploma programs graduated to applause, speeches and support from family and friends.
“Hoy es un día muy especial,” said Evan Schulte, assistant director of Colorado Mountain College’s high school equivalency program. “It’s a very special day.”
Every student spoke during the bilingual ceremony that took place in a classroom on campus. Many thanked their family and friends for their support as they took on the mammoth task of earning their degree while working and raising families.
Hard work was a theme of the night.
“Everyone has worked very hard to be here tonight,” Schulte said, thanking students, families and friends for their commitment to their schoolwork and each other.
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“I want to look each one of you in the eyes and say: This is a big deal, congratulations,” said Amy Blakey, assistant dean of instruction at CMC Edwards campus.
Colorado Mountain College’s high school equivalency, high school diploma and adult high school diploma programs support students as they study for and take the four General Educational Development tests. The program is relatively new. Colorado Mountain College has only been able to directly provide adult high school diplomas since 2023. Instruction and testing for the program are offered in English and Spanish at all Colorado Mountain College campuses.
At the Edwards campus, students study independently using an online program, as well as receiving weekly classroom support from Jeanne Nelson, the program’s instructor.
“I know what a struggle it is for a lot of you,” Nelson said. “You’ve got jobs, you’ve got families, you’ve got so many responsibilities, and to actually work into that ‘Yes, I’m going to work and get my high school diploma, and I’m coming to class and I’m doing my homework’ — you guys are my heroes.”
The programs serve a wide range of students, from those who were realizing a lifelong dream to earn a high school degree to those looking to pursue career advancement to those who earned high school, college and post-graduate degrees in other countries.
Kimberly Alarcón Rojas, one of the graduates, has a master’s degree in Peru. But when she moved to the United States, she learned it would be a long process to get her degree accepted by the U.S. Department of Education. She decided to participate in Colorado Mountain College’s program to ensure she had a high school equivalency degree while she waits for her master’s degree to be evaluated by United States authorities.
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“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to this wonderful CMC community,” Alarcón Rojas said. “This is a testament of resilience, courage and hope. We are stronger together, all of us.”
Once each student received their diploma, friends and families gathered around their graduates to celebrate with cake and drinks. Or, as Schulte put it, “now we party!”
Thursday’s ceremony kicked off the 2025 graduation season in Eagle County, which runs through the end of May. Colorado Mountain College’s Vail Valley at Edwards general commencement ceremony takes place on May 2 at 5 p.m. at the Hyatt in Beaver Creek.
