“It has been 15 long years since my high school class graduated without me,” said Delilah Hernandez at her 2018 GED graduation ceremony. “But the length of time it may have taken me to complete this achievement is not the relevant factor for me tonight. What is relevant is that it has been accomplished. We all have a story. We all have experienced challenges one way or another. Some of us may have had more challenges than others: some of us more intense. But whatever the reason or reasons may be as to why we did not graduate high school with our class, what truly matters is that we have made it happen.”
Since her GED Graduation Ceremony in 2018, Delilah Hernandez has accomplished more for herself than she ever thought possible.
In 2017, while 7 months pregnant, Hernandez made the decision to prioritize her education for herself and her children. Seven years later, she has completed her GED, become a mother of three and will earn her associate degree in Nursing this spring.
“After earning my GED, I thought ‘Gosh, I really can do this’,” Hernandez said. “So, I decided to take my education further. When I chose nursing, I was nervous because I was never good at math, but I knew it was something I could do. The Moraine Park faculty played a big role in me learning about myself and what I was capable of.”
Hernandez is one of the many Moraine Park students who have been hired before graduation—a huge accomplishment and testament to her hard work. Come June, Hernandez will be a nurse on the med-surg unit at Froedtert Hospital in West Bend.
“I’m very grateful for Moraine Park,” she said. “Although it’s been a long five years, I’ve been very supported along the way, and I’m so excited for this new chapter in my life.”
She joins in this celebration with her children, one of whom will be graduating from high school this spring. Hernandez and her family have marked this momentous time by welcoming a new puppy.
Congratulations, Delilah!