Hundreds of people at the Fresno Adult School are celebrating their graduation

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Moments before the graduation ceremony we found Gabriela Rudino, a mother of two originally from Mexico who never got a shot at high school.

"Well I came, old-- when I was 21 so I couldn't go to high school."

Without an education Rudino said, there wasn't much opportunity and her inspiration to get her GED-- well, that came from tragedy.

"I was married just for two years, barely, and he went into accident."

Rudino's husband was a trucker and seven years ago he got paralyzed in a wreck.

"I'm his caregiver, he became a quadriplegic-- so I'm learning a lot, I like helping people."

Rudino passion to help became a passion to learn, so she turned to the Fresno Adult School.

"For me it's really important to study, to prepare, to help my son to success."

In this graduating class of 2017 there are close to 350 people-- all with different stories and obstacles in life. Some dropped out to work, some to raise kids; all ran into the same problem-- finding it hard to get a job without a high school education.

"I plan to have a career, not just a job, now when they ask me for my diploma, I can hand it to them," said Yolanda Juarez, graduate.

For Rudino this is the second step towards her ultimate goal. The first was taking the oath to become an American citizen last year. And her next step is Fresno City College where she will study to be a registered nurse.

"Good-- for me it's like, one dream could become more and more."

Like all the other graduates Rudino is living her dreams and setting an example for generations to come.