The third time was the charm for newly minted Adult Education graduate Dynasty Whitfield. After two previous high school paths didn’t work out for her, Whitfield “beat the odds” and received her diploma last week thanks in large part to Adult Ed’s persistently caring staff, resource ral lies, and career-focused curriculum. Whitfield was one of 151 students to graduate last Wednesday from the New Haven Adult Continuing Education Center. The Class of 2026’s commencement ceremony took place at Southern Connecticut State University’s (SCSU) John Lyman Center. In addition to receiving General Educational Development (GED) certifications or high school diplomas through Adult Ed’s high-school-credit program, 13 of the graduates also received certifications as nursing assistants and one of the grads celebrated becoming a U.S. citizen. The number of students who graduated this year is up by 16 from the 135 students who walked Adult Ed’s graduation stage last year. Before, during, and after last Wednesday’s ceremony, Whitfield recalled shedding lots of tears because “I did what I put my mind to.” She also celebrated that she was selected to be one of four student speakers at Wednesday’s commencement. In a phone interview on Thursday, Whitfield, a New Haven native, spoke about the many obstacles she overcame after deciding she needed to leave Metropolitan Business Academy in December 2024. Whitfield lives with musculoskeletal pain and fibromyalgia, which significantly impacted her ability to keep up with traditional high school. She recalled frequently waking up late for school, skipping class, and slacking off once she discovered her traditional high school didn’t “give enough flexibility or hear you out.” “So after a while you just believe them and stop caring,” she said. She then went on to try out the district’s Gateway to College program, which wrapped up its final year this month. She struggled with that program, too, because she had taken on a full-time job and often couldn’t make it from work to the college campus in time. After trying Gateway to College for almost two full semesters, she said she fell behind in her class and was withdrawn for it. “I did realize eventually I can’t just allow my body to do this to me. I knew I had to help myself to make it, but I just needed the right place to help me through it,” Whitfield said. Due to work and her health struggles she considered enrolling in online classes at Adult Ed but challenged herself to attend in person. “I’m so glad I did because Adult Ed changed so much for me,” she said. From a curriculum that focused on “what you need in the real world” like calculating wages to an academic probation period that gave her two weeks to get her grades up, Whitfield said Adult Ed made the most sense for her. When she almost failed an Adult Ed course, she said Adult Ed staff checked on what was going on with her personally, which was different from her past experiences in school. “It felt like they were saying, ‘We acknowledge and see that you’re a bright student so we’re going to give you a real chance,'” she said. Instead of needing the full two weeks to get her grades up, it took Whitfield three days to get back in good standing to pass her classes. She added that Adult Ed introduced her to several opportunities personally and for her career. She hopes to next pursue cybersecurity or start a soul food restaurant, or maybe both. “It’s more than just getting your education,” Whitfield said about her time at Adult Ed. “It’s a really good support system that never thought to look at me any less than just because I was failing. It felt like we were family more than a school.” Adult Ed Principal Michelle Bonora said each year’s commencement brings a “feeling that never gets old,” which is the reminder of students’ resilience and many accomplishments leading up to graduation. Bonora gave credit to the Adult Ed team that maintains the city’s “hidden gem of education” with an individualized student-centered approach. Educators work to teach, mentor, and “believe in each human’s ability to rise and achieve,” she said. Adult Ed graduates each year overcome housing instability, homelessness, food shortages, child care challenges, transportation issues, and several forms of trauma, and still make it to not just their academic courses but to resource rallies, college tours, and career opportunities, Bonora said. “Their futures are so bright,” she concluded. Bonora also told the Independent that Adult Ed plans on moving into its new building on Bassett Street in Newhallville in the early spring of 2027. The building will be named after the late local civil rights pioneer Rev. Edwin Edmonds. Bonora said that, in the new building, Adult Ed’s programs are expected to expand to include a culinary and hospitality program, a patient care tech (PCT) program, and offerings in digital literacy, advanced coding, and analytics with artificial intelligence (AI). Next year Adult Ed will also roll out a new schedule of six-week “sprint-style sessions” allowing learners to have “stackable bite-size learning” that makes gaining credits more accessible to students, Bonora told the Independent. The new building will also include a health suite that will seek partners to provide mental and physical health services. Click here to view a video made by Adult Ed this year. At Wednesday’s Adult Ed 2026 commencement. Credit: NHPS Principal Bonora at 2026 commencement. The post 151 Adult Ed Grads “Beat the Odds” appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less