Outstanding Graduates

Denise Banks arrived at the Moreno Valley Cal-Safe program with only 135 of the 200 credits she needed to graduate.

“I wanted to graduate as quickly as possible,” said Banks, whose baby was in the room next door being cared for as part of the program operated by the Riverside County Office of Education.

She caught up and graduated on time in June, and now plans to attend Riverside Community College. “I want to be a medical assistant, then transfer to UC and study to become a veterinarian,” she said.

Denise was chosen to be the speaker for her class.

“I felt really honored,” she said. “I never figured I would be a valedictorian.”

Cal-Safe allowed Denise to finish school while feeling secure about her baby. “I tried an online program, but I couldn’t concentrate (taking care of the baby). It was so great here, and I just loved it.”

Emanuel Ocampo surveyed his life one day and didn’t like what he saw.“I thought to myself, why am I doing this?” he said. “I knew I was screwing up.”

He had been forced to leave his high school in Riverside because of behavior problems. He was behind in credits. What he was looking forward to, he said, “was probably ending up on the streets.”

That’s when he landed in the Community School at the Arlington Learning Center, offered by the Riverside County Office of Education. Things changed. “If you ever wanted to see a student do a complete 180, it’s him,” said his teacher, Jose Bustos.

Ocampo arrived at the RLC just as the school opened, about two years ago. He worked hard to complete his credits. “It was hard,” he said. “You work by yourself. But I had Mr. Bustos to help me out.”

Why did he do it? “There were many reasons,” he said. “Mostly though, my mom wanted to see me graduate.”

Now 18, he not only graduated, but he was chosen to speak for his class at graduation. “That was a big surprise,” he said. “I saw myself going in a different direction.”

His parents, he said, “were really, really proud.”

Now he is enrolling at Riverside Community College. He hasn’t chosen a career goal. He would eventually like to transfer to the UC system and obtain a four-year degree.

“I have choices now,” he said. “I have a lot of choices and opportunities.”

Bianca Bravo attended nine different schools before she and her baby arrived at the Riverside County Office of Education Cal-Safe Program in Coachella.

“I knew right away that this place was different,”she said. “My baby was right next door and I knew they were taking good care of him. That let me concentrate. I learned more here than anywhere else I have been.”

Bianca, 18, focused on making up lost credits and obtaining her high school diploma.

“It wasn’t hard, I just had to work at it day and night,” she said, laughing.

Her hard work paid off. She has her diploma and is enrolling in the College of the Desert. Her parents came to her graduation ceremony and were very proud of her. She was chosen to speak for her class.

“I want to be a nurse,” she said. “I am talking to counselors at COD right now.”

What does Bianca think of Cal-Safe?

“Cal-Safe gave me the opportunity to get my life back on track.”