On Saturday, May 16, Esperanza College celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2026. Faculty, administration, family members, and friends gathered to honor the graduates.

The college commemorated its 25th anniversary this past fall. Since its first graduating class in 2004, a total of 1,120 students have earned associate degrees. Many have gone on to pursue bachelor’s degrees and even master’s and other advanced degrees. This year marks the largest graduating class in the college’s history. Eighty-two students earned associate degrees in the following programs: Business Administration, Human and Community Services, Criminal Justice, Esports Management, Health Sciences, Medical Assisting, and Media and Technology. Most graduates plan to continue their academic careers in the fall.

The academic achievements of this class are outstanding. Fourteen students completed their studies with grade point averages of 3.9 or higher. Guelmi Martinez was the valedictorian, earning the highest GPA in the class. His message to fellow graduates was inspiring: “Success is not only about what we accomplish for ourselves; it also includes how we help those around us.” The salutatorian, the student with the second-highest GPA, was Aliyah Baez-Davis.

The class included thirty-four students from the Early College Program, a partnership between Esperanza College, Esperanza Academy Charter School, and Esperanza Cyber Charter School. These students earned their associate degrees while simultaneously completing their high school diplomas.

Seven graduates were part of the pilot cohort of the “Health Occupations Pathways” program. This collaboration with Jefferson Health and the School District of Philadelphia provides students the opportunity to work full-time at Jefferson while completing their associate degrees at Esperanza College.

A special moment during the ceremony was the recognition of Ms. Marilyn Marsh. Marilyn served as Executive Dean of Esperanza College from 2019 until her retirement earlier this year. She received a standing ovation and a gift in appreciation of her contributions to advancing the institution’s mission.

This diverse class included traditional students and working adults with families, as well as day and evening students, and both in-person and virtual learners. As Guelmi expressed, “Each journey is different. Some of us arrived here with fewer obstacles; others had to overcome invisible challenges. What matters is that we made it. We should be proud to have reached this milestone.”

All of us at Esperanza College wholeheartedly agree—we are extremely proud of our graduates.

*Nilsa R. Graciani, Ph.D. Academic Dean, Esperanza College.