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Narjas Zatat
Jun 04, 2018

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A woman has overcome adversary and received her high school diploma at the age of 49.
Catarina Morales Reyna, from California, graduated from Sanger Adult School with a high school diploma following years of drugs and gang involvement.
Tony Cabrera, news anchor for Action News, shared 49-year-old Reyna’s story.
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He asked his Facebook followers to congratulate her.
Her post candidly shared trauma from her life, including taking drugs when she was younger.
She wrote:
I wanted to share with you that at the age of 49 I’m finally getting my high school diploma from Sanger High tonight. I came from a life of abuse, dysfunction and pain. I took drugs at a young age and did things I had no business doing to get them.
I went on to worsen things. I spent 5 years in the Valley State Prison for women – worse place anyone could be. Along the way I had children – 7 to be exact, which I lost custody to all but one.
But today my brother I’ve been clean 7 years, been out of prison 10 years and I got ALL my children back in my life today.
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I’m so grateful for life today and I’m truly blessed. It feels so right to be in my own skin. I’m free Tony, and as [I] look back it’s only to remember that I’ve come a long way and I never wanna go back’.
The post has been shared almost 200 times, with people writing in from all across the world congratulating Reyna.
One person wrote:
It’s never too late to start over. Congrats on your accomplishment. You should be very proud of yourself.
Another added:
Congratulations on graduating and staying clean, Blessings and may yo[u] have a great life with your kids now.
H/T ABC30
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