This Friday, San Diego College of Continuing Education will ring in a record-breaking milestone, conferring 10,761 certificates and diplomas to adult learners from all walks of life, the highest number in the institution’s history. The 2025 joint commencement ceremony with San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) will take place on June 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park.

More than 400 adult graduates are expected to participate in the ceremony. Forty-seven-year-old High School Diploma/Equivalency student, Francisco Contreras, will be the class of 2025 speaker.

After dropping out of high school at age 15, Contreras’ life spiraled into a cycle of drugs, gang violence, and incarceration. Now, nearly three decades later, he has returned to school, this time determined to finish what he started. “I finally realized that if something didn’t change, I was either going to be in prison for the rest of my life, or found dead somewhere,” he shared.

With the support of the College of Continuing Education, Contreras committed himself to his studies, receiving tutoring, encouragement, and even a scholarship along the way. This marked his third attempt to earn a diploma, and the one that changed his life. Now, diploma in hand, Contreras is advancing his career and planning for the future. “I’m applying for the assistant superintendent position at the construction company I work for. This diploma was all I needed to move forward.”

He concluded, “As for my journey, I never thought I would accomplish getting a diploma. So, to all my fellow graduates, believe me when I tell you, anything is possible.”

The College of Continuing Education serves 30,000 students annually, offering adult learners 18 and older with more than 70 tuition-free career certificate options in high demand workforce sectors. The college awards more certificates of completion annually than any other noncredit institution in California.

Also among the class of 2025 graduates is 36-year-old Elizabeth Santamaria, who previously held a distinguished career as a physician in Mexico City and earned a PhD in hospital administration and public health. Despite her impressive credentials, Santamaria had to restart her professional journey in the United States due to differenc

Thanks to Continuing Education she completed vocational English as a Second Language classes, a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certificate as well as obtained a Health Unit Coordinator certificate. The academic achievement will advance Santamaria from her current caregiver role with the county to becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) and thereafter a healthcare education professor. Looking forward to commencement, she shared, “this moment feels full of joy and is empowering because I have accomplished these first steps towards my goals and my loved ones have been part of this entire process.”

“Commencement is more than a celebration, it is a powerful reminder of what equity in education truly means. Our adult graduates have overcome systemic barriers, balanced jobs, families, and responsibilities while pursuing their goals. Their success is proof that it’s never too late to dream,” said Dr. Tina M. King, College of Continuing Education President.

This past spring, the College of Continuing Education and SDUSD launched a groundbreaking partnership permitting high school students to dual enroll in the college’s Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) certificate program to advance early into the workforce. Sixteen students from Lincoln High School successfully completed the program and will walk across the stage on June 6, earning both a high school diploma and an industry-recognized credential.

Graduates are available for media interviews before commencement begins from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on June 6 or in advance of the ceremony.