TURNER – Joe Barry is a 40-year-old with a full-time job and a family to support.

Nathanael Bowmaster is an 18-year-old who was home-schooled, while Khadija Noorow discovered the value of education after escaping war-torn Somalia with her family.

Different backgrounds? For sure. But on Friday night, these three and 27 others stood shoulder-to-shoulder and collected their high school diplomas as the School Administrative District 52 adult education program graduated its 2018 class.

“It was hard,” Barry said. “It was very hard. I made it here by the skin of my teeth.”

While Barry was taking night classes and online courses, he was also working a 60-hour-a-week construction job and taking care of three kids and a wife of 23 years.

It was the family that made him determined to go back to school for his diploma, Barry said. He wants to give them — and himself, too — a better life.

“Who wouldn’t want to do that?” Barry asked, before marching toward the stage for the Friday night ceremony at Leavitt Area High School. “It’s been great. I met a lot of good people.”

Barry was motivated.

Bowmaster, meanwhile, was more casual in his approach to planning the remainder of his life.

“I’ll get a job, I guess,” the 18-year-old said. “I’ll go on to college at some point.”

In her commencement address to the graduating class U.S. Sen. Susan Collins recognized the diversity of backgrounds and circumstances of those students collecting their diplomas.

“While virtually all graduates work hard to earn their diplomas, you have overcome barriers to education and personal challenges with determination and courage,” Collins said. “You balanced work, school and family obligations to do so. Some of you came to America for freedom and opportunity and took on the difficult task of learning English as you earned your diplomas. The diploma each of you receives today is proof of your ability to discipline yourself, to set clear goals and to strive toward those goals.”

In her animated welcome to the students, SAD 52 Director of Adult Education Razell Ward acknowledged that for many students, the road to graduation was occasionally rocky. They made it, she said, through guidance from the school staff and through sheer determination.

“They’ve learned to fix their own mistakes,” Ward said, “to talk problems over with friends.”

The Friday night celebration packed the school auditorium almost to capacity. Some family and friends of the graduates said that without the adult education program, many of the students wouldn’t be able to graduate, for a variety of reasons.

“I think it’s a great alternative for kids with different learning styles to be able to still get a diploma,” said Jo-Anne Teacutter, whose 17-year-old son Kyle graduated Friday night.

Kauna Bitrus Yaga, like Noorow, suffered a harrowing ordeal while escaping to safety in the U.S. Once her life stabilized, she realized that the value of education can not be overstated.

“Never give up,” she told her classmates, “because of something bad that happened in your life.”

Collins, in her address, urged the students to give back to their communities by volunteering.

“Whether it’s joining the volunteer fire department or ambulance crew, helping out at your local school or hospital, serving on your town council or planning board, or participating in a service club or food bank,” she said, “your community needs you to volunteer, to get involved.”

A few minutes later, students turned their tassels from one side of their mortarboard to the other and like that, 30 men and women from a wide variety of backgrounds had graduated.

“Everyone is so proud of you,” Collins told them. “Be proud of yourselves, as well.”

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, congratulates School Administrative District 52 Adult Education students before their graduation at Leavitt Area High School in Turner on Friday. Collins delivered the commencement address. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

Fabricio Peralta waits to be called to line up before the School Administrative District 52 Adult Education graduation at Leavitt Area High School in Turner on Friday. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

School Administrative District 52 Adult Education students listen to opening remarks by Razell Ward during graduation at Leavitt Area High School in Turner on Friday. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

Kauna Yaga gets a hand from Pam Lanyon before the start of the School Administrative District 52 Adult Education graduation at Leavitt Area High School in Turner on Friday. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, applauds during the School Administrative District 52 Adult Education graduation at Leavitt Area High School in Turner on Friday. Collins delivered the commencement address. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

Razell Ward, director of adult education for School Administrative District 52, hustles around before graduation ceremonies Friday at Leavitt Area High School. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, front row, fourth from right, stands with family and friends of graduates during the School Administrative District 52 Adult Education graduation at Leavitt Area High School in Turner on Friday. Collins delivered the commencement address. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

SAD 52 Adult Education Graduates

Joseph Barry

Alicia Blue

Kasey Butler

Ashley Breton

Nathanael Bowmaster

Kassidy Curtis

Codie Duguay

Haydn Dumont

Jordan Dumont

Taylor Eastman

Charlotte Foglietta

Cameron Gilbert

Raul Herrara

Ava Johnson

Courtney Lamontagne

Collin Leavitt

AnnMarie Malinowski

Alan Morissette

Khadija Noorow

Noah Pelletier

Fabrico Peralta

Parker Robitaille

Hannah Roddy

Gunnar Rowe

Sheena Russell

Isaac T. Mendez Solano

Caitlyn Taylor

Kyle Teacutter

Kauna Bitrus Yaga

Abdalla Yusuf