SANFORD - More students graduated from Central Carolina Community College's Adult High School program in 2013-14 than from any other community college in North Carolina, except for Central Piedmont Community College.

According to statistics recently released by the North Carolina Community College System, CCCC graduated 120 students from its Adult High School program, a number exceeded only by CPCC, which graduated 158.

The significance of that statistic is increased by the fact that CCCC serves Chatham, Harnett and Lee counties, which have a combined population of about 252,000, while CPCC serves Mecklenburg County, which has a population of about 991,000.

Central Carolina Community College also ranks among the top six community colleges in the state in the combined number of students that graduated from its Adult High School/General Educational Development programs between July 2013 and June 2014.

Of the 58 community colleges in the NCCCS, only six, including CCCC, graduated more than 500 students from these programs during that academic year.

CCCC graduated 521 students, putting it in the company of institutions that serve populous counties, such as CPCC, Wake Technical Community College and Forsyth Community College.

"The faculty and staff in our Adult High School/GED programs are committed to the success of their students," said Dr. Bud Marchant, CCCC president. "At the graduations, we heard student after student say that they never would have accomplished what they did without the encouragement and training from them. The college is proud of what these graduates achieved. Their commitment to success will continue to benefit not only themselves, but also their families and the communities in which they reside."

When students come to the college's Adult High School and GED programs, they are encouraged to complete their high school diploma if they already have some high school credits. At the college's Adult High School, no matter what their age, they do not lose those credits in spite of having dropped out of high school as a teenager.

Rosa Durham, of Lee County, received her high school diploma at the June 19 graduation ceremony. At age 54, she was able to achieve her goal because the Adult High School program opened doors that she thought had closed forever years before.

"This time, I made it," she said with pride and gratitude.

She now plans to continue her education to be a dietitian.

Many students choose to earn a GED credential instead. To accomplish that, they study and are assessed in four content areas: literacy, mathematics, science and social studies, as well as learning career- and college-readiness skills.

Gustavo Rivera, of Lee County, received his GED at CCCC's Jan. 16 Adult High School/GED graduation. He had dropped out of school 27 years before, in ninth grade. He came back because one of his children asked him why he had dropped out.

"I didn't want my children to think it was okay to make a bad decision, so I decided to go back," he said. "Now, I'm not going to stop here."

CCCC offers both the Adult High School and GED programs in seated classes and online to accommodate adult students' schedules in Chatham, Harnett and Lee counties.

"Our teachers work really hard; our students are focused and motivated," said Dawn Tucker, CCCC Dean of College and Career Readiness. "We offer a quality program and a balanced approach to help our students succeed."

For more information about Central Carolina Community College's Adult High School/GED programs, visit www.cccc.edu or contact Daniel Loges, (919) 545-8661, dloges@cccc.edu at the Siler City Center; Judy Herndon, (919) 545-8028, jherbon@cccc.edu, at the Chatham County Campus, in Pittsboro; Melody McGee, (910) 814-8972, mmcgee@cccc.edu, at the Lillington Adult Education Center; or Malissia McConnell, (919) 777-7721, mmcconnell@cccc.edu, at the Lifelong Learning Center at W.B. Wicker, in Sanford. Para mas informacion es espanol: Julia Herbon, (919) 545-8667, jherbon@cccc.edu.