William Stickney Pittsfield Adult Learning Center Graduates 61
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For 50 years the William Stickney Pittsfield Adult Learning Center has built its foundation on guiding learners through their winding story and on Thursday, 61 graduates have become part of this legacy.
Families, friends, faculty, and staff gathered in the Taconic High School auditorium to celebrate the graduates who earned their adult diplomas or passed the General Educational Development or High School Equivalency test.
Much like the winding roads that meander through the rolling Berkshire mountains, life is filled with unexpected potholes, sudden turns, stretches that slow you down, and moments where you have to steady the wheel and trust you'll make it through, said Carly Gaherty, the center's adviser and outreach coordinator.
"Even on the roughest roads, there is still movement forward. Education is like that, too," She said.
To the center's staff, this year's ceremony is more than a graduation — it also marks 50 years of creating opportunities and transforming lives through education since the organization's founding in 1976, Gaherty said.
Since its establishment, the center has had 2,243 graduates come through its programming. The success of the program is determined by the success of its students, Director Paul Gage said.
"Today, the center continues to exist because of you … and the 44 graduating classes who walked before you," he said.
These graduates are paying it forward not only in their future within the community but also because of their success within the program which means future generations will have access to free adult education, Gage said.
"You may not have realized it during those late nights of studying for the HiSET exam but you have paid it forward," he said…
"Because you showed up, because you worked hard, and because you succeeded, you have proven the vital worth of adult education to our state and federal funders."
Although everyone's story is different, they do share commonalities — perseverance and determination.
To these graduates this accomplishment is more than a diploma, it's a new beginning, and a testament to their courage, said Daily Micaela, HiSET graduate.
"This diploma does not represent what we lacked. It represents the courage we had to keep
moving forward," she said.
Micaela graduated high school in Ecuador. When she came to the United States, she quickly learned that building a new life here often means starting over with a new language, culture, systems, and challenges.
"For some of you, this diploma is a step forward. For many immigrants, it is also a way of saying, 'I am here, I belong here, and I am ready to keep growing,'" she said.
The speakers demonstrated how education does not have an expiration date. It can be done at any age and pace, and be just as meaningful as anyone else's.
"To my fellow graduates: never minimize what you have accomplished today. Your journey may
not have looked like everyone else's, but your achievement is just as important," Micaela said.
"This is not the finish line. It is the beginning of new opportunities, new goals, and new dreams."
The drive to continue does not only come from within, sometimes it can also come from loved ones, whether it's your parents, a partner, or the desire to create a better future for your child.
From a young age, Stephan Lanphear, HiSET graduate, had to learn grit and tenacity to survive the streets of New York City in the 80s, after running away from an abusive household at 16.
His tenacity drove him to open The Compass Rose, Massachusetts' first tattoo parlor, in Martha's Vineyard in 2001 — following a legal battle backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and a Suffolk Superior Court judge who ruled the ban on tattooing was unconstitutional.
"Life without a high school diploma does not make things easy. Everything I've accomplished in my prime has been that much harder because of it," he said.
"There are a lot of doors closed to those without education, and I had to take the long way around my whole life."
At 40, Lanphear met "the woman of his dreams" and had two children, at which point he promised himself he would get his GED, not only for himself but for them
"Fast forward another 20 years, and here I am. It was not easy. I haven't been in school in 45 years, so this was a shock," he said.
"But I stuck with it. I made a promise to myself and my family, and it means the world to me that I was able to see it through."
Now, at 61, Lanphear is proudly walking the stage to receive a diploma, hoping to inspire younger generations to pursue their own educational goals.
"A little bit of hard work and dedication right now can make the rest of your life significantly easier and allow for so many more opportunities," he said.
The center welcomed alumna Vicki Corl, who exemplifies lifelong learning, persistence, and a dedication to supporting children and families in the community.
Corl earned her GED at the Adult Learning Center 21 years ago and now works as program director for supportive services for Child Care of the Berkshires Inc.
In her role, she gets to support the area's most vulnerable populations including families involved with the state Department of Children and Families, young parents, and families experiencing homelessness.
"Continue your education, even if it's on your own time. Be proud of your accomplishments. One step at a time is all it takes to get to where you need to be and you are the only one who can create the future you want for yourself. I promise you, if I can do it, so can you," she said.
From an associate's degrees at Berkshire Community College to a bachelor's at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Corl's steps did not come without difficulty.
Her path was anything but linear — marked by challenges, emotional highs and lows, and self-discovery.
"Tonight, we celebrate something bigger than a moment. We celebrate the journey that brought each of you here, the decision to keep going, to return, to believe that there was still more to your story," Corl said.
Her journey is far from over as in the next couple of years, Corl plans to go back to school to obtain a Masters in social work in the hopes of becoming a child therapist and open her own practice one day.
The center also recognized Adult Diploma director Joan Evans, who has been with the organization since its establishment.
She was the first teacher Bill Stickney hired, teaching classes in adult basic education, English for speakers of other languages and mentoring many staff members along the way, said teacher Barb LaRocque.
"A 50-year anniversary is also called a Golden Jubilee. This is especially fitting because Joan has a heart of gold," she said.
"She is the kindest, warmest, and most generous person. She is always willing to help — students, staff, the community, anyone in need."
Graduates:
* Adult Diploma Program Graduate
Millicent Ackah
Brendan Burchfiel
Jalesa A. Burgess
Natasha Isabel Burnell
Cheyenne Lacey Clavette
Keelan Coe
Amber Cornell
Julian Demary
David Dias
Sophia English
Avari Elizabeth Forfa
Mary Autumn Gray Formel
Jacoby Christopher Forward
Avianna E. Galvagni
Yariel Green Berrios*
Rodney Green
Anna Guinen
Logan Harford
Dominic J. Heroux
Gabriella Mary Holst-Grubbe
Brendan Burchfiel
Jalesa A. Burgess
Natasha Isabel Burnell
Cheyenne Lacey Clavette
Keelan Coe
Amber Cornell
Julian Demary
David Dias
Sophia English
Avari Elizabeth Forfa
Mary Autumn Gray Formel
Jacoby Christopher Forward
Avianna E. Galvagni
Yariel Green Berrios*
Rodney Green
Anna Guinen
Logan Harford
Dominic J. Heroux
Gabriella Mary Holst-Grubbe
Ollie Homeyer
Xander Howes
Baylie Renée Johns
Jacob G. Lafrance
Zach Sabino Lane
Stephan Lanphear
Brionna M. Ledbetter
Renato Franco Lezama
Miya Paige Madsen
Jacob Mandeville
Savannah Brooke Martin*
Caitlin Maynard
Adrianna Mccluskey
Kai D. Mckelva
Daily Micaela
Maniya Sharareh Moody
Alyssa Moore
Teyah S. Morrison
Isabella Morse*
Owen Orcutt
Xander Howes
Baylie Renée Johns
Jacob G. Lafrance
Zach Sabino Lane
Stephan Lanphear
Brionna M. Ledbetter
Renato Franco Lezama
Miya Paige Madsen
Jacob Mandeville
Savannah Brooke Martin*
Caitlin Maynard
Adrianna Mccluskey
Kai D. Mckelva
Daily Micaela
Maniya Sharareh Moody
Alyssa Moore
Teyah S. Morrison
Isabella Morse*
Owen Orcutt
Elizalynn Pagan
Chad Andrew Peck
Amiri Powell*
Myley Pullen
Lily Quinto
Joseph Edward Ramirez Jr.
Olivia Victoria Regalmann
Lily A. Ring-Hecht
Elliot Forrest Seward
Maria Shaw
Liam A. Simo
Tyler Raymond Spitzer
Lilanna Mae Starbird-Gadoury
Cole Tarasuk
Nora B. Therrien*
Lorena V. Tur
Coleton Thomas Turton
Willow Erin Vachula*
Odin Verchot
Jennifer Victor
Chad Andrew Peck
Amiri Powell*
Myley Pullen
Lily Quinto
Joseph Edward Ramirez Jr.
Olivia Victoria Regalmann
Lily A. Ring-Hecht
Elliot Forrest Seward
Maria Shaw
Liam A. Simo
Tyler Raymond Spitzer
Lilanna Mae Starbird-Gadoury
Cole Tarasuk
Nora B. Therrien*
Lorena V. Tur
Coleton Thomas Turton
Willow Erin Vachula*
Odin Verchot
Jennifer Victor
Tags: adult learning, graduation 2026,
