PHOENIX — You're never too old to learn if you're willing and open to it. 79-year-old Miguel "Mike" Ayala never stopped wanting to finish his education and he’s now getting that chance.
He turned to the Excel Center in Phoenix to help him realize his dream. That’s where 12News caught up with him, as he was studying.
"I think education is the most greatest thing a person can have," Ayala said with a smile.
Ayala is working towards his high school diploma. He never got to finish school while he was growing up in New York.
When his parents split up while Ayala was young, he dropped out of school to work and support his family, ensuring his younger siblings went to school.
"I tried to go to school at nights, but it was very hard," he recalled. "I just started to run the streets."
As the decades passed, he never gave up on his dream.
"I wanted... Not to prove to anybody, just to prove to me,” he said about his tenacity.
Now, after all these years, he’s getting his chance at the Excel Center. The school helps adults complete their high school education and get their diplomas.
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School Director Sue Sackman said the school aims to meet students’ needs where they are, in every way whether it’s academically, socially, or emotionally. The school even offers childcare for students as well as transportation help. U.S. Census data shows there are more than 700,000 Arizonans who haven’t graduated high school, and they want to shrink that number.
"It's not just Mike. It's every student that walks through our doors. And every day to me is a celebration," Sackman said.
Ayala loves being a student and showing his kids and grandkids what true determination looks like. For him, it’s about the journey, not just the destination.
As for when he's expected to graduate, Ayala said he’s not worried about the date. "It could be five, six months. I don't know. I don't care. I just want to be here."
With teachers and staff rooting for the students, every diploma earned is proof that it's never too late to pursue your dreams.
"I almost cried. Because I said 'Oh my God, the door is open. I'm going through,’" Ayala said.
Readers can visit excelcenteraz.org for more information.
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