The Crawfordsville Adult Resource Academy graduated 34 students at a ceremony Thursday at Crawfordsville High School. Each one took a different path on their way to earning a high school equivalency diploma.
Recently retired CARA director Kathy Tobias congratulated the Class of 2025 and praised their decision to earn their diploma.
“The hardest thing you did was walk through the door at the CARA program,” Tobias said. “You have proven it is never too late to recalibrate your story. This is your moment.”
Throughout the ceremony those in attendance showed their appreciation for CARA staff and especially for the new graduates.
Four graduates, Kaylee Sessum, Haley Wilson, Alina Valencia and Jasmine Cavender, each shared a part of their journey. They talked about what led them to such an important moment in their lives. Each proudly delivered their speech and were sometimes overcome by emotion.
“Each of us has a story that did not follow the conventional path to get to this point,” Sessum said to her fellow graduates. “This diploma is proof that it is never too late to start.”
Sessum said it was not always easy to attend CARA. She spoke of the difficulties of working full-time with a family and finding time to study.
Wilson spoke about how she started at CARA numerous times. The last time she quit the program was 16 years ago. This time there were still hurdles, but she persevered.
“I found myself homeless and I lost a sister, but this time I still showed up,” Wilson said. “This time, each time I fell, I got back up.”
Valencia, an immigrant from Mexico, earned her diploma in a year. A feat not often accomplished. The mother and wife shared why her family was forced to leave their country.
“We were a normal family with a successful business in Mexico,” Valencia said. “We found out being successful in Mexico can bring trouble. A gang forced us to pay a fee so we would not be kidnapped. They kept raising the fee and we had to decide to run away.”
The family entered the United States with nothing. They left everything behind.
“I was broken and terrified, but being in the United States, I had hope,” she said.
Cavender captivated the audience with her emotional story. She described herself as a one-time drug addict and a troublemaker while growing up.
Her 29 years of life have not been easy. Her father left the home when Cavender was two years old. Her mother worked three jobs to care for her and her brother. At the age of six, she became a domestic violence victim. At the age of 10, she became a sexual abuse victim. She turned to drugs to escape her problems.
During this time she “gave up on school.” At the age of 16, Cavender overdosed. A year later she became pregnant, but her child lived just one week.
She had several dealings with the court system and was in and out of jail. She said jail became her refuge.
“I did not mind being in jail,” Cavender said. “Jail became my safe place.”
While in jail, Cavender said she made a life-changing decision.
“I found CARA and I had a flicker of hope,” she said. “I put everything I had into learning. I proved I was capable.”
Cavender spoke to the graduates and everyone in attendance with encouragement.
“You are not your past,” Cavender said. “You are worthy and can build something beautiful from the broken pieces.”
