Hollister
– Travis Carriero thought there was no way he would graduate in
June with the rest of the San Andreas seniors.
Hollister – Travis Carriero thought there was no way he would graduate in June with the rest of the San Andreas seniors.
But five days before graduation, he received the good news: On his fifth try, he had passed the high school exit exam.
“The thought of not graduating was the worst. It was the exit exam that was holding me back,” said Carriero, 18.
While many students take high school graduation for granted, it made it that much sweeter for Carriero that he nearly didn’t graduate.
Carriero had transferred to San Andreas from San Benito High School in January. Way behind in credits, he had little hope of graduating.
“For a while, we weren’t sure if he was going to make it,” said San Andreas counselor Elena de la Puerta. “Not only did he need to pass all of his classes, but he needed extra, too.
Many teachers at the high school put in extra time and energy helping to tutor Carriero through his independent study classes.
“The teachers (at San Andreas), they’re here for you and helping you and doing what they can,” Carriero said.
He said the one-on-one attention was key to his success, both in passing the English section of the exit exam and getting caught up on his credits.
“I came here and I worked a lot harder,” he said. “I actually learned stuff instead of just hearing it and having it go in one ear and out the other.”
After finding out he had passed the exit exam, Carriero worked frantically to make sure he had completed all of his graduation requirements.
When Carriero found out he would be graduating, he kept the news to himself for a few days while reveling in his success.
He waited to tell his mom the day before, reminding her she had to be at the ceremony on time to watch him receive his diploma.
“She couldn’t believe I did it. She was so happy,” Carriero said. “It felt great.”
Dressed in a white cap and gown and receiving his diploma at Wednesday’s graduation ceremony was one of the proudest moments of his life, Carriero said.
“I was in tears. I was so happy,” he said. “I didn’t even know what I was going to do next. There were so many choices.”
In the fall, Carriero plans to attend WyoTech in Arizona, where he will study to become a mechanic. While academics were always a struggle, working on cars has come naturally to him.
“I’ve always been working on my trucks, so I figure I might as well go to school and make money doing it,” he said.
His teachers also are proud of him, not only for meeting with the challenge of high school graduation, but also for pursuing further education.
“He’s always working on that truck, and I’m happy to see he’s continuing his education into something vocational,” de la Puerta said. “I’m very proud of him. He made it.”
