MOSES LAKE — Kekuni Robello-Dorsey expressed a common feeling of the students who earned a high school diploma or GED, or both, through the Open Doors Program sponsored by the Moses Lake School District.

“It feels amazing,” Robello-Dorsey said.

More than 40 students donned caps and gowns for the graduation ceremony at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center Thursday. Family and friends filled almost every seat.

“I’m blown away right now at the number of people that have come to support these kids,” said Open Doors counselor Annie Hindman in her speech during the ceremony.

The Open Doors program is for young people 16 to 21 years of age who have dropped out of school or who aren’t expected to finish high school by their 21st birthday, according to information on the district website.

“Man, (graduation) felt good,” said Alberto Orozco.

Others had been unsure of their success and were glad to see it come to fruition.

“Honestly, I never thought this day would come,” said Violet Medina.

Seath Diamond said he wasn’t sure he would make it either - he faced some rough times, and he had to work to get that diploma.

“For all the bad things, I still got here,” Diamond said.

“I know I’m not the only one who overcame challenges to graduate,” said Morgan Evans, one of two student speakers.

Cynthia Velazquez was the second student speaker and detailed some of the challenges she had faced, struggling with the feeling she just wasn’t good enough. She learned about the Open Doors program during her sophomore year.

“At that time I wasn’t really focused on graduation, I was just trying to survive,” she said. “I started thinking about Open Doors, and maybe this was what I needed.”

But she was struggling hard to keep up; she forgot about the program, she said, and she fell further behind.

“It wasn’t until after my junior year that I realized I messed up, thinking I didn’t deserve to do better. I was selling myself short,” she said.

Evans said she struggled throughout high school, barely making it to her senior year.

“I only got a couple weeks into it before I dropped out to take care of my father during his final months. And after that, the thought of going back to school seemed really far off,” Evans said.

An attempt to go through the program at Big Bend Community College was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, but she decided to give it one more try through Open Doors.

The Open Doors staff for 2021-22 included Hindman, administrator Brandon Byers, teachers Jason Giuntoli and Rich Gregoire and support staff Christina Perales and Eneida Crawford. Evans and Velazquez said the teachers and staff provided crucial support.

“With their help, I was given the chance to stand here today to finish something I started years ago,” Evans said.

“I found a place I felt comfortable and felt like I didn’t need to pretend to be anyone but myself,” Velazquez said. “I felt like another family and home were there.”

Hindman said the students came from a lot of different places to get to Open Doors, but they all had the same goal.

“One thing you all have in common is you made the decision to continue your education,” Hindman said.

“I worked really hard to get here,” Robello-Dorsey said.

Jessica Byers said it took a lot of work to get to graduation, and there were times when she thought she might not make it. But she did.

“It was a huge relief,” she said.

The Open Doors program made it a lot easier, she said.

“Open Doors has been the best thing,” Diamond said.

After the graduation ceremony, Byers said the students deserved the credit for the hard work they put into it.

“These kids are pretty incredible,” he said.

He looked around at the graduates, talking and being congratulated by family and friends, and congratulating each other.

“This is a great Thursday night,” Byers said.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at [email protected].