The path to graduation wasn’t easy, or fast, for Thelma Gomes. But she was determined to see it through and claim her high school diploma.
Recently, she did just that. And her daughters — 3-year-old Cattleya and 7-month old Giselle — were there to join her in the celebration. And this Mother’s Day, they will celebrate with a proud high school graduate.
“I want to prove to my kids, ‘Never give up,’ ” says Thelma.
Thelma had almost finished high school when she got pregnant with her first child. Once the baby arrived, being a new mom and also working to support her little family with a job serving food at McDonald’s made full-time school a steep challenge.
“It was stressing me out more and I just decided to stop,” she recalls.
After Giselle was born, though, Thelma decided to make one more push. Her cousin, a graduation candidate at Martin County Acceleration Academies, told her about the program’s personalized approach, one-on-one coaching and flexible schedule. Maybe, Thelma thought, she could finish high school after all.
After securing permission from the school district to enroll at MCAA, she returned to school in the fall of 2020 and finished up. It wasn’t easy to juggle her many commitments, but Thelma said she drew on her own determination and support from the Academy staff.
She credited English and social studies content coach Cory Allen with taking the time to help her master difficult subjects. “He always tells me if I ever need help to let him know. He’ll explain it in a way that I understand.”
She singled out graduation candidate advocate Jeannette Navarro for helping her stay on task. “She pushes me to get my work done,” says Thelma. Navarro told her, “Come on, you’re so close. Don’t give up now.”
Navarro says that sometimes when she would be on a teleconference with Thelma, she could hear the voices of her children and their cousins rising in the background.
“It was very challenging for her,” Navarro recalls. “She deserves that diploma, let me tell you. She’s a trooper.”
Thelma Gomes’ father and oldest daughter, Cattleya, watch as the Thelma receives her high school diploma. Annie Shaw photo.
While the restaurant job provided her with money to support herself and her kids, Thelma says she wants more — a career in the medical field, perhaps in pediatrics, that will require a high school diploma and education beyond that.
“Education should be the first thing, because it leads you to more opportunities in life,” she says.
Asked what advice she might offer other students who are trying to follow in her footsteps?
“Never give up,” she says. “Whoever’s going to make you feel like you’re not going to do it, just ignore their negativity. If you want to do it, just do it.”