Adult education students celebrate receiving diplomas

    Being a 53-year-old grandmother of four wasn't an obstacle for Bonnie Sims and her goal of going back to school and earning a high school diploma.
    Sims was one of 10 Dodge City Education Center graduates who received their degrees Sunday at Dodge City High School.
    Sims owns a babysitting business and is a Dodge City native. In 1971, she dropped out of high school during her senior year to get married. She said she promised her mother that at some point, she would go back to school.
    Last August, 36 years after she left school, she enrolled at the education center. In January, she passed the test to receive her high school diploma.
    "At first I made several attempts to come back to school, but (not) until last year did I say to myself: ‘It's now or never. I will go back to school,'" she said.
    The most challenging task for Sims, she said, was finding the time to squeeze in school work with her 10-hour days spent managing her business. Sims also had her knee replaced last December.
    "However, my decision was made and I didn't give up," she said.
    Sims' family came to Dodge City to help her celebrate her achievement. Her mother traveled from Loomis, Neb., while her three daughters came from across the country.
    Now, Sims said she plans to attend college and study day care operations and management. She said she hoped to use that information to improve her business.
    Another graduate, Gerardo Covarrubias, a 25-year-old father of one, dropped out of school when he was a sophomore in a Chicago-area high school. Six years ago, he moved to Dodge City and started playing with the idea of going back to school.
    "I dropped out of school because I had to work to support my mother and two little brothers," Covarrubias said. "But I have always loved school.”
    Covarrubias began attending school one year ago, determined to meet his goal. He said he currently works at the Cargill Meat Solutions packing plant but eventually plans to attend college.
    "My next goal is to be a science or a math teacher," he said. "My achievement is also my family's achievement, and I would like to encourage other adults to take advantage of the opportunity that the DCEC provides for working people."
    Joy L. Rentería , a 32-year-old mother of four, quit school twice: Once in 1995 and again in 1996.
    "I could not continue school because my mother needed financial help," Rentería said. "Last time I quit school I was a sophomore at DCHS, but last year I reflected about returning to school."
    Rentería said her husband played a large part in her success as he often helped care for the children, even though he worked full time. She said her next plan was to attend college, either to become a nurse or major in business management.
    "I am certain that my achievement is one important step to a superior education," she said. "I also look forward to my children's' future."
    Mark Bejot, director of alternative education, said the graduates made sacrifices and invested their time, energy and effort in reaching their goal. He said the 10 graduates showed what can happen when people stay positive.
    City Commissioner Jim Sherer, who addressed the graduates, said he encouraged them to continue developing their abilities with three steps: "First, think of yourself. Second, don't be afraid of making future commitments, and third, be involved with the future."