HEP Program graduates 31 in second year

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College High School Equivalency Program, also known as HEP, saw 31 students graduate Monday night.

“I’m so proud of these graduates, they have worked hard and overcome so many challenges,” said Program Manager Diana Villafaña. “They are an example of persistence.”

The HEP program serves migrant and seasonal farmworkers, including their spouse and dependents, with supplemental support and resources to assist them with earning their GED or high school diploma.

“The HEP program is so vital for our communities as it helps migratory and seasonal farmworkers begin their educational journey for not only themselves but for their children, families and community,” Villafaña said.

The program celebrated the 31 graduates of its second cohort Monday night in Big Bend’s Masto Conference Center. During the celebration, graduates heard a special message from BBCC President Sara Thompson Tweedy.

“The courage and fortitude that brought you to this moment has been and will always be with you,” Tweedy said to the graduates. “And now you know that you can accomplish great things, your success will continue.”

Villafaña then introduced the keynote speaker, Marisol Lozano. Lozano, a Big Bend alum, spoke about her mother’s journey in getting her high school diploma through Big Bend two decades prior and how that made a big impact in her family.

“She didn’t realize that the biggest achievement from graduation would be the influence she would have on her family,” Lozano said.

She went on to explain how every time her mother saw success, her mother would reflect on how it all started by getting her GED at Big Bend. Her mother’s example not only inspired her immediate family but her mother also encourages her staff at her company to continue their education as well.

“My mom reminded me that anything was possible because she made the impossible a reality,” said Lozano.