Graduation & National Honor Society Spotlight

Hillary Broughton- National Adult Education Honor Society

 Hillary is an HSE student at RSC Northern, and a single mother of three children. Her situation prevented her from completing her high school education and although Hilliary doubted her ability to earn her HSE credential, she took the RLA GED® practice test after only one week and passed on her first attempt. She continued on to pass her Social Studies, Science and Math test within 3 months. Soon, Hillary landed a full-time job in the medical assistant field, which is the career and college pathway she was interested to pursue. Now she is prepared to take classes in the medical assistant program at Gateway Community College and is considering a degree in Nursing. Hillary’s hard work and determination gave her the resources to earn her HSE diploma and empowered her to support others in our learning community. After receiving her diploma, Hillary shared her story with other RSC Northern HSE students and encouraged them to work diligently towards attaining their own goals. Her hard work and success have translated into a steady income for her family and the confidence to take on greater challenges to reach her career goals.

Tracy Merideth - HSE Graduation  Hillary Broughton 

Tracy Merideth’s path to earning her HSE diploma was filled with many obstacles. After dropping out of school in 7 th grade, Merideth struggled with substance abuse for over two decades. Breaking the addiction cycle was the first challenge she met. The second was completing her HSE diploma through Rio Salado’s GED test prep program. 

Merideth, who is now four years sober, enrolled in Rio’s HSE program during the pandemic which provided its own challenges. “Paying bills and maintaining day to day life with work and being a single mom was hard,” Merideth said. “I had to stay mentally focused on something I really wanted, living life on life's terms and still making it to class.” It took two years to reach her goal through determination and sacrifice. “I was able to succeed by staying sober and being persistent with my small goals,” Merideth said. “Taking small steps helped take me toward the big goal.” 

Merideth plans to complete the Adult ACE program and is currently pursuing a behavioral health science certificate at Glendale Community College.  “I want to get personal trainer certification and, hopefully, in five years, open my own gym to work with people who struggle with addiction or mental health issues,” Merideth said.  She credits Rio Salado for helping to get her life back on track and even inspiring her children. “As soon as I realized I had other opportunities than where I came from, my children now know they also have other opportunities,” said Merideth, whose daughter Kaylee is on the verge of completing her own high school diploma. “My community is also safer because I am sober and working on my education.”

Gael and Cassandra Munoz - HSE Graduation

Brother and sister Gael and Cassandra Munoz started Rio Salado College’s High School Equivalency (HSE) program in August 2022. The siblings, who enrolled at the college’s new partner location West-MEC SW in Buckeye, helped motivate each other through the program, and successfully passed their GED® exams after three months. "I graduated high school in Mexico, but my transcripts weren’t accepted here so I had to start over to get my diploma,” Cassandra said. “I enrolled at Rio, started a new job, and moved into a new apartment. It was a lot of change in a short time, but it was all worth it.”  

“When I learned of the challenges my sister had with her transcripts, I decided to join her in the Rio Salado program and get started on my future” Gael said. “I am so much further ahead after just a few months at Rio than I would have been if I had stayed in Mexico." Both students then completed a Retail Fundamentals certificate as part of an HSE cohort and enrolled in Rio Salado’s Business Entrepreneurship career training program in January.  "Business is something I am passionate about,” said Gael, who was inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society in March. “When Rio offered this, I was interested right away." 

"I would like to finish my business entrepreneur certification and then finish the Adult ACE (Achieving a College Education) program at Rio,” Cassandra said. Both plan on transferring to Arizona State University to complete their bachelor’s degrees. “I eventually want to own my own architectural firm, leading projects related to sustainability,” Cassandra said.  “I would like to establish my own business in the real estate or financial services field,” Gael said.  Cassandra added, "By going to college, we can demonstrate that we are capable, and that even though we have obstacles, we can work for our dreams and goals.”

Amanda Wood - National Adult Education Honor Society - Amanda began her GED® test preparation journey at Rio Southern in May 2021. She started virtually and later transferred to the Virtual Learning Academy to continue online coursework. She is committed to achieving her goals and has already passed 3 of the 5 GED® tests. She is enrolling in both the Retail and Microsoft Word Integrated Education and Training programs.  Her long-term goal is to become a full-time Recovery Coach. She is passionate about this work and is driven to help others in need. Her commitment to education has impacted her family as her young children see firsthand the true meaning of resilience, perseverance, and grit. She has overcome many obstacles and is very driven to succeed.  

Rachel Lopez - HSE Graduation began Rio Salado’s High School Equivalency (HSE) program in May 2020, at the start of the pandemic, and earned her GED® a year later. She recently completed a phlebotomy certificate and is currently enrolled in the Medical Administrative Assisting program Rio offers in partnership with Phoenix College. 

“My dream job is to give back to my community and help others by becoming a triage nurse,” Lopez said. Being the mother of five boys, two of who have medical challenges, inspired Lopez to pursue a career in healthcare. “

Since two of my children have medical challenges, I have been so strongly inspired by what nurses have done to help them,” Lopez said. “This is one of the reasons why I continue to pursue my education. I not only want to be able to help my children with their academics, but I also want to be able to help them and others with medical challenges.” Lopez said earning her HSE diploma through Rio Salado put her on the path to success.

“Earning my GED® has helped me to inspire my children and to motivate them to pursue their dreams,” Lopez said. “I always tell my sons not to give up on their goals, and to persevere no matter what roadblocks they face. I tell them that if they work hard, they can accomplish anything.” Lopez plans to continue her education and training through Rio Salado and the Maricopa Community Colleges and earn a nursing degree.