"You Can't Lose If You're Trying." Red Rocks Opens a New Path to a High School Diploma.

Esai Ortegon was supposed to graduate from high school in 2015, but when his brother passed away he found it hard to stay in school and dropped out instead.

Now, more than a decade later, Esai is on his way to finishing that degree that he wasn’t able to complete then.

“I was trying to go back for a while, but I was above age, so it took me a minute to even find my way,” Esai said.  

But when he started looking into union jobs, he was told he needed a diploma to get started. He didn’t give up.

To open opportunities for people like Esai, Red Rocks Community College just started a new program for adults wanting to complete their high school diploma. The program was created in partnership with the nonprofit Mi Casa Resource Center, and courses are offered at their site. 

"We are thrilled to partner with Red Rocks Community College to bring adult high school diploma programming to our community," said Jamie Roth, Director of Career Pathways for Mi Casa. "For too many adults, not having a diploma is the barrier standing between them and a better-paying job or a college classroom — and it's a barrier they've been carrying for years. Together with Red Rocks, we're finally giving our community a real path forward."

It’s one way RRCC is looking to meet people where they are.

“This is a program for individuals who want a better future,” said Director of Engaging Learner Assets and Career Experiences (ENLACE) Junior Reina Toc, Ph.D. “As a community college we work with all people, no matter where they’re at, we’re here to support their desires and goals.”

Students who enroll can show their transcripts if they have prior credits that can be applied, otherwise, the program consists of three classes: math, English and civics. Students can choose to take one at a time, or all three at once. All classes are offered in the evenings Monday through Thursday with some online work.  

The courses last for five weeks, and if life happens and students have to pause, they have up to a year to restart the course again in another five-week cohort when the time is right.

RRCC professors teach the courses which include topics like financial literacy. RRCC also provides tutors before and during classes, along with workshops on navigating online systems, online safety, time management and resume building.

Esai said the program is going great for him and has helped him see a clear path forward.

“I understand a lot and I know what I got to do now,” Esai said.

Isaiah Arellano, another student in the new program, said he’s also glad he decided to sign up.

For Isaiah, high school was difficult because his family struggled with addiction and he didn’t have support. Eventually he fell into addiction himself.

“I would go to school and then I would be waiting for my mom to pick me up and she would never pick me up, or if she did she was late and high,” Isaiah said.  

But Isaiah eventually moved out of Pueblo to be closer to other family members in Denver, and they have been helping him turn his life around for the last couple of years.  

“My family that does live up here they keep telling me that I can get a better job,” Isaiah said. “I’m doing good now, but I just want to better myself more.”

Although he is working a stable job that allows him to pay his bills, Isaiah still worries about things like his car breaking down.  

“I had been saving up for it the whole two years I’ve been here,” Isaiah said. If it breaks down, he might not be able to afford another car.

If he can access a better job once he earns his diploma, he said he hopes it can lead to more stability.

So far, he said the tutors have been helpful, and he feels like he’s learning a lot.  

If other people are wondering if they should sign up, he would encourage people to go for it.

“You just need to believe in yourself. It’ll be worth it in the end,” Isaiah said. “You can’t lose if you’re trying to gain better education and better opportunities.”

“I just want to get it done and show everyone that I can do it,” he said.  

The next start date for the adult high school diploma program through RRCC is Sept. 21. 

To learn more, visit: https://www.rrcc.edu/enlace/adult-high-school-diploma-program