It’s November, and while graduation season for traditional high schools is still many months away, we graduate students year-round, allowing us to bring you another awesome Edge success story.
Meet Maria Hernandez, Class of 2024!
Maria graduated in October 2024 after four years at our Himmel Park campus. Like a lot of students, the 2020 pandemic disrupted Maria’s education. She fell behind during her freshman year of high school and needed support to get back on track. That’s when she enrolled at our tuition-free high school, just like her two older sisters who also took advantage of our credit recovery program and graduated from Edge.
Rising early every day to make the 30-minute commute to school possible, Maria committed to her education. She took advantage of an extended day schedule that helped her get her work done at school. Math had historically been a challenging subject for her, but with time, she completed her math courses quicker and quicker thanks to the support of her teachers. She also had the opportunity to make her strong subjects even stronger – excelling in English class and growing her skills as a writer.
What was the key to Maria’s success? According to Maria, it’s knowing that asking questions and asking for help is not only ok, it’s crucial. That’s what our Edge teachers are here for and love to do – help! Maria felt cared for by each of her teachers who offered help on academic skills and life and career advising. She is grateful for the support of LaGail Pearson, who not only helped her build confidence in her math skills, but also made a point to check in and offer support during rough times.
During her time at Edge, Maria participated in many of our electives and loved the real-world application of what she was learning. She recalls the CPR class as a memorable time because of how realistic and helpful the course was.
Maria was also a member of our beloved Book Club and attended the Book Fair at the UofA. In addition to bonding with her friends at a cool event, she got to hold a snake in the science section – so cool!
What’s next for Maria? Now that she’s graduated, Maria is looking forward to starting a job at one of the shops closer to home. In January, she’ll begin at Pima Community College to possibly study radiology.
Congratulations, Maria! We are so proud of your efforts and accomplishments and look forward to watching you soar.
Do you see yourself in Maria’s story? If you think Edge could help you get the education you need, we invite you to get to know us better. Call us, come in for a tour or read more on our blog. We enroll year-round – there’s no time like the present!
About Edge
EDGE is a Cognia accredited, tuition-free, charter high school, with two campuses in the greater Tucson area. We provide an alternative to traditional education, meeting the diverse learning and life needs of our students with our blended curriculum and flexible morning or afternoon class schedules. Our high-quality, passionate teachers are dedicated to individualized instruction in our small academic classes. Be you. With us. At Edge.