What’s This? Caps and Gowns in August?

At a time when most families brace for the start of school, 100 students, including 25-year-old Maricela Perez, in center above, were getting diplomas. What made this graduation different was more than the timing, however. These students from Lynwood, Compton, Paramount, South Gate and Downey are fathers, grandmothers and immigrants, some of them generations past age 18. All earned diplomas by taking a high school equivalency exam.

Emma Avina, 40, lower left, donned the same cap and gown her daughter used in June to graduate from Downey High. During the last six years, Avina has mixed studying with raising four children.

Maria J. Garcia, 47, below right, a grandmother, worked as a waitress from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and then attended school from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. She will keep the same hours in order to pursue her goal of becoming a bilingual teacher.

Last week’s ceremony took place at Bateman Hall in Lynwood. A coalition of community groups and local educators and officials sponsored and organized the event. The festivities included a post-graduation dinner and dance.

“We’re going to make this an annual thing,” said Benjamin Miranda of Concerned Citizens of Lynwood. “And we’re going out to seek more students to graduate.

“You’ve got to give them some kind of award. That gives them a lot of motivation to continue going forward.”