Senior Success Story: Parlier student worked around the clock to make up 60 credits and graduate

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The glitz and glam of prom night is now over, and Claudia Rocha and her classmates have left their final handprints on their senior year.

She's got the cap and gown ready for graduation, and now she's excited that she just has to finish up the final weeks of class at Parlier High.

"I'm done with school," Claudia said through laughter.

It's no surprise she's ready to graduate because at the start of her senior year, she wasn't a student in Parlier.

She attended Edison High School in Fresno.

But she struggled.

She says it started to go downhill in her sophomore year when she was depressed, and most days didn't want to get out of bed.

"I really didn't -- I didn't pay attention. That year was like really blank," Claudia said.

Her junior year, things started to pick up again, but she was warned she was behind on credits.

"They didn't tell me how much, but I just know it was bad," Claudia said.

She started working on making up some of those lost credits.

But her personal life also took a toll.

Her parents split up, and she went from living with her mom to living with her dad.

She was commuting to school from her dad's house in Parlier to Fresno every day.

But after she wrecked the car, she was forced to transfer to Parlier High in January.

That move ended up working in her favor because school counselor Jennifer Diaz made sure Claudia knew just how behind she was in school.

"I reviewed her transcript, and she was 60 credits behind," Diaz said.

Missing that many credits meant not only would Claudia not be allowed to walk at graduation, but there was the potential she may not graduate.

That's when reality set in.

She said she also thought about what example she would be setting for her two younger brothers.

But after meeting with Diaz about possible solutions, she was ready to do things differently.

"That meeting really changed my mind," Claudia said.

She started credit recovery, which is independent study work on top of her normal classes.

"I'm able to track when students last work on it, so I'd see her working late at night, weekends and she did it," Diaz said.

Now, with just a couple of weeks until graduation, she's completely caught up on credits and allowed to graduate.

Diaz says what Claudia did in such a short period of time is extraordinary.

"I'm just so proud of her. I can't emphasize that enough. I'm really proud of her. I know she's come a long way," Diaz said.

Now that Claudia is almost done with class, she's interested in what the future has to offer her.

"I'm kind of scared, nervous -- but I'm really proud of myself, like I'm done. I'm done," Claudia said.

Claudia hasn't decided exactly what she wants to do after high school, but she's thinking about going to cosmetology school or working to become a medical assistant or certified nursing assistant.

Click here for all the stories and videos in our series, "Senior Success."

For news updates, follow Jessica Harrington on Facebook, X and Instagram.