About eight years ago, Jason Riley was a student at Venture Academy.

Along the way, his plans changed. He works as an electrician with a 7-year-old son but was without a high school diploma.

But thanks to the Manteca Adult School, Riley, 25, obtained what he was missing.

On Thursday, he received his High School Equivalency Certificate, accomplishing that goal in just two weeks, according to his teacher Ofelia Tornero.

"I was more focused," said Riley, who will be attending Modesto Junior College to pursue work with the Department of Fish & Game.

He was one of 27 members making up the Class of 2021. The Manteca Adult School commencement and celebration also included the Class of 2020.

Ulises Arellano was among the 24 from the latter class who waited two years for this special moment held in front of the Manteca Unified School District Office.

Counselor Larry Machado noted that the Adult School ceremony featured students ranging in age from 18 to 58. Of that, six were from other countries, one enrolled as late as 2006 while another (Riley) came aboard in April.

Principal Brad Harrison gave special recognition to Gino Martinez and Alondra Schock, who were respectively the valedictorian and salutatorian from this combined group.

Both are currently attending Delta College.

Martinez, who last attended school about 10 years ago, was encouraged by his wife to get his diploma.

Schock, who plans to enter into the Radiology program, had a 34-year gap, from the time she last attended high school to her time in completing her studies at the Adult School. "My friend told me it was easy to do it," she said.

"They both had phenomenal scores," Machado said. 

He prefers this graduation to that of some of the others.

"This is the last graduation for MUSD, but it's also my favorite," he said.

Machado was referring to the struggles many faced to get to this point.

He added: "We had 130-plus who started this program. We had some who left not because they had to but rather because life happens."