Three Springs High School graduates find their own way to success

Most students face challenges in reaching their educational goals - elementary, middle, high school and college.

For students at Cheney's Three Springs High School, those challenges can be different than for students at traditional schools. In fact, quite often those challenges become obstacles that can seem insurmountable.

Three Springs Principal Ryan Fitzgerald believes it's not the obstacles that should be considered, but the paths around them.

"It's not how many times you fall down, but how many times you pick yourself up," Fitzgerald said. "All of these kids have found ways."

Not only did Miranda Espinosa find a way to graduate, she also found her way into being the class of 2015's valedictorian. A couple of obstacles rearing up in front of her were dropping out of school during her sophomore year in Houston, Texas, and becoming pregnant and giving birth to a daughter, Lux, which is Latin for "light."

She moved to Spokane to live with family over a year ago and enrolled in Three Springs, doing a lot of her course work online. After graduation she plans to take some time to raise her daughter, and then enroll in Spokane Community College or Spokane Falls Community College with the intent of exploring three possible career options - veterinarian, ultrasound technician or an English teacher.

Her message at Wednesday's (June 3) commencement ceremonies will be simple.

"There's nothing that should stop you if you want something," Espinosa said.

Originally from Wichita, Kan., Selena Rodriguez lived in New York City before moving to Cheney about four years ago when her U.S. Army stepfather got stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. For her, the obstacle to receiving her diploma has been the need to work since she has been living on her own with a boyfriend.

When her mom and stepfather moved to North Carolina, there was one less resource to fall back on. Not too long ago, her boyfriend's mother also found employment in North Carolina, leaving the two of them completely on their own.

Besides working at a sushi restaurant at Fairchild, Rodriguez's post-graduation plans might include a stint in the military. She said she hadn't really thought about the military until recently when a serviceman came into the restaurant and during the course of conversation asked her what she was going to do with her life.

Rodriguez said she had to think of something fast, so she said she was considering the military. After he left she decided she should follow through on that, and has been talking to a Navy recruiter ever since about service options.

"Just that little comment turned into a whirlwind," Rodriguez said.

Kailyn Hamm moved to Cheney from Auburn, Wash. when she was about six months old. Like Espinosa, Hamm's challenge to graduation was giving birth to her daughter last fall, who is appropriately named Autumn.

Hamm's plans include attending Spokane Community College this summer and studying to be a registered nurse. She hopes to transfer to the Gonzaga nursing program in two years.

She picked that career because of her daughter, or more accurately, because of her birth.

"The OB (obstetrics nurse) that helped deliver her was wonderful," Hamm said. "I want to do the exact same thing she did."

For Ruvin Romanyuk, taking care of siblings has been his challenge. That hasn't stopped him from graduating and also finishing his second year as a Running Start student at EWU.

Romanyuk has completed his core requirements, and will begin pursuing a bachelor's degree in business finance this fall. Born and raised in Spokane but now living in Airway Heights, he hopes his first job after EWU will be in banking or insurance, which will allow him to save money to buy a home while working towards his long-term goal.

"If all goes well, (I will) open up my own property management business," Romanyuk said.

All four agreed that flexibility, and ability to work on their own time and their own pace, especially through online coursework, are keys to their successful graduation.

"They all have responsibilities beyond academics," Fitzgerald said. "That's why Three Springs exists. Not everyone fits into the regular school environment."

"If I was put in a class, I would not have done it," Rodriguez said of graduation. "Since the pressure was on me, I got it done."

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].