Portland Adult Education (PAE) hosted a Workforce Graduation Ceremony on June 24 at Portland High School. The ceremony honored the remarkable achievements of approximately 120 individuals in the Class of 2026 who successfully completed one of PAE’s workforce programs.

PAE has been a beacon of opportunity for the community’s adult students for nearly two centuries. It is the largest school in the Portland Public Schools district, serving about 2,000 learners each year through academic, English language, enrichment and workforce classes. PAE’s vital workforce programs provide comprehensive training and education in a range of industries including healthcare, clean energy and banking—opening doors to a wide variety of career opportunities. Through a combination of rigorous coursework, hands-on experience, and personalized guidance, these programs empower participants to enhance their skills, pursue their career goals, and thrive in their fields of expertise.

The following numbers of this year’s graduates have successfully completed one of these workforce training or certificate programs at PAE:

●      Heat Pump Installation, Pre-apprenticeship: 11

●      Green Construction, Pre-apprenticeship: 9

●      Bridge to Clean Energy Careers: 8

●      Teller Training: 11

●      Bridge to Healthcare Careers: 19

●      English for Job Preparation: 21

●      Medical Assistant Pre-apprenticeship: 11

●      Healthcare Office Certificate: 5

●      Supported Certified Nursing Assistant: 23

Interim PAE Executive Director Kate Hersom praised the graduates. “As the modern workforce changes rapidly, it is imperative that we all continue to learn so that we can be prepared to gain the skills needed in various fields of work,” she said. “That is why we are here today—to celebrate the accomplishments of the men and women on stage today. Many of you have come to PAE with degrees and experience from other countries and have worked hard to use that prior knowledge to determine your next step towards meeting career goals in the United States.”

She added that 14 of the workforce graduates this year had also earned their high school diplomas—awarded at a June 17 ceremony at Merrill Auditorium—completing challenging academic work at the same time they were working to finish their workforce training. Hersom called for an extra round of applause for those students.

Superintendent Ryan Scallon congratulated the graduates. “Every person on this stage made the same brave decision: to go back to school as an adult, often while working and raising children, in order to build a career and a future here in Maine,” he said. “You earned certifications and passed state exams. Some of you sat for those exams just this morning.”

He continued: “Many of you are not beginning your careers tonight. You are continuing them. You came to Portland Adult Education with skills, professions and experience, and what you have done here is earn the credentials that let you do that work here in Maine.”

For example, Scallon said, “One of our graduates spent 10 years as a banker before coming to the United States. He worked nights for five years so his wife could work days and he could care for their young daughters. When they started school, he joined Teller Training, not to start over, but to return to the career he had built.”

Such experiences make for excellent employees that benefit businesses and organizations all over Maine, Hersom said. “When the city of Portland and other employers hire PAE students, they don’t only hire well prepared employees, they get people who have grit and the determination to do a good job and already know how to ‘adult,’” she said. She told the graduates: “For example, you have experience managing families, having previous jobs, or life transitions that make you reliable, mature, and ready to solve complex workplace problems from day one. You definitely have proven that you can work under pressure!”

The ceremony also included two speakers from the Class of 2026.

The first speaker, a graduate of the heat pump installation pre-apprenticeship program, told his classmates: “We are not a traditional graduating class. Our paths were not straight lines leading directly from high school to this stage. Instead, our paths were paved with detour signs, heavy traffic, and long breaks on the side of the road.”

He continued: “For an adult, deciding to go back to school is not just an academic choice. It is a radical act of bravery…Before we ever cracked open a textbook or logged into an online portal, our plates were entirely full. We already had jobs, rent, mortgages, children, aging parents, and endless stacks of bills. We did not have ‘free time’ to give to our education.” He told the graduates, “Think back to the moments that brought you here. Remember the late nights studying after the kids finally went to sleep. Remember the exhaustion of rushing from an eight-hour work shift straight into a classroom, fueled by nothing but determination.”

But now, he said, “Congratulations to all the graduates of the class of 2026. We did it. Now go out there and show what adults with a second chance can do!”

The second speaker, a graduate of the CNA (certified nursing assistant) program, spoke of how she was inspired to become a nurse by seeing nurses in her home country dispense vaccines and provide other important medical information and care. Then, during her arduous overland journey with others to come to the United States, she noticed that another woman’s infant seemed ill. The speaker said she cared for the child, enabling the baby to survive the journey and confirming her determination to be a nurse. “From this experience I believe I will be a great nurse with an open eye to notice the abnormal symptoms of my patients,” she said.

Next, she had to study hard to learn English, as well as work to obtain her CNA certification. “PAE's support and guidance helped me to build confidence and trust myself,” she said. “I recently became a CNA and I love it. Working hard will prepare me to continue to follow my long-term goals.”

Scallon and Hersom also praised the PAE staff who lead and teach the workforce programs, and the wide variety of businesses and organizations who support the programs by providing technical expertise to train students and also by offering internships and employment opportunities. “None of this happens alone,” Scallon told the graduates. “Our Portland Adult Education workforce team and our employer partners across this city helped open these doors, and walked through them with you.”

Northern Light Mercy Hospital is one of those employer partners. Raphael Kabata, head of workforce strategy & development at Mercy, also spoke at the ceremony, addressing the healthcare graduates.

“Whether you work directly with patients or support those who do, your contributions matter,” Kabata said. “The skills you have gained through this program will not only help you advance in your career, but they will also help improve the care we provide to our community. We are especially proud that many of you have chosen Mercy Hospital as your workplace. Your dedication, compassion, and commitment to excellence make our organization stronger. You remind us every day that talent, determination, and potential can be found in every community and every background.”