Pedro Celestino
Among the many students in the area celebrating this season of commencement, Jose Celestino and Mercedes Hatch are planning to march at the upcoming Lewiston Adult Education graduation in June.
Celestino began taking HiSET classes at Lewiston Adult Education last fall and Hatch has attended HiSET classes for the past two years. The HiSET is the exam used for high school equivalency diplomas for the state of Maine, replacing the GED 10 years ago.
Celestino’s teacher was Don Roux. When Roux asked which exam Jose wanted to take first, Celestino chose math. “I told him it was a challenge and I’d like to start with the harder one,” Celestino said.
Hatch gave kudos to instructor Luke Lunt. “He’s very motivating. He always hyped me up,” Hatch said. She also credited teacher Jen Brown with her help. “I wasn’t in any of her classes but she’d sometimes come into my classroom and help me with my math,” Hatch said.
Celestino, who balanced his schoolwork with his full-time job at LePage Bakeries in Lewiston, credited his brothers, Abraao and Paulino, for their support. “They have inspired me. They were always my support while I was growing up. Now that I’m here, they still inspire me. They work a lot,” Celestino said. He also credited his mother, Teresa Paulino, who lives in Angola.“She always was pushing me to get a degree,” Celestino said. Taking classes at Lewiston Adult Education took a little explaining to his mother, as he was enrolled in engineering classes in Angola before moving to the United States. “When I told her I’m getting my high school diploma, she said, ‘You’re going backwards,’” he said.
But Celestino knew earning a high school credential in the U.S. would make going to college easier for him. “I’m enrolled in CMCC already. Now I’m taking business administration and management classes. My goal is to get this degree and go further,” Celestino said.
Mercedes Hatch
Hatch is interested in going to college and possibly majoring in agriculture. Among her other potential goals are running a farmers’ market and starting a Christian clothing line. She credited her parents with encouraging her to take her final HiSET exam, math, even though she thought she wasn’t ready, Hatch passed.
She wants to encourage those interested in earning their high school equivalency degree through adult education. “Definitely do it. It’s never too late to get your HiSET or whatever you’re going for. And do not give up,” Hatch said.
The ceremony is set for Tuesday, June 4, at 7 p.m. in the Lewiston High School gym and the public is invited to attend and celebrate along with the graduates.