While the larger adult education graduation is set to take place in October, the staff at the Continuing Education Centre in Ajax, Ont., knew that a special, personal celebration was in order for this year’s oldest graduate on April 25.

So Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre celebrated in style as the adult education school within the Durham Catholic District School Board feted 78-year-old Tony Cornacchia as he was presented with his Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Having immigrated to Canada from Monteleone di Puglia, a town with a population of just over 1,000 in southeastern Italy, when he was just eight years old, Cornacchia’s journey through to graduation was not a traditional one.

Although he says he always knew that education was important to get ahead in life, it had to take a back seat for the young immigrant to Canada. Being the oldest sibling in a newcomer family of seven in the late 1950s, the most important thing in the Cornacchia family at that time was keeping food on the table.

“Back in my days, a high school diploma would've done great things for me if I could have finished, even if I had my Grade 10, I could have gotten ahead. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out the way you want in the real world — somebody has to bring in the bread and butter for the family,” he said.

“ We had a bit of misfortune, which brought money problems as they often do. During that time, there were six of us when I dropped out of school, with one more on the way, so I knew what I had to do.”

Cornacchia dropped out of school after Grade 7 in an effort to help his family out financially. He says the plan was supposed to be temporary, something that quickly changed once September rolled around and more work needed to be done.

“Come that fall,  my mother asked me if I could stay working for a while until things picked up for us. Somebody had to do it, and I enjoyed helping and using the family car as any kid would back then.”

He took up different piece work jobs, making anywhere from 65¢ to $1 per hour, figures that he admitted he was not content with even as a young man. He often faced long hours of labour across multiple jobs at a time, but for his family, he did what he had to do.

“ I wasn't particularly happy. I wanted to be outdoors, the hours were long and I was going to night school. I would fall asleep because I was working too much,” he recalled. “Besides part-time jobs, I worked at the shoe factory five days a week and on Saturday, I used to go to St. Lawrence Market to work there.”

Eventually, he made a career for himself as a foreman for the City of Toronto, beginning in the  parks department. Cornacchia spent two years with the parks department, 30 in the roads and 12 more years with the City of Toronto. It was a career of often gruelling, labour-intensive, handyman-style work that he would go on to support his own family with.

“If you are able to work steadily at one place for 44 years, you must have been doing something right,” he said with a smile.

Even with a 40+ year career with the city, Cornacchia maintained his interest in returning to school and earning a diploma. Through Archbishop Anthony Meagher CCEC, he was able to do so across eight months of hard work and discernment.

The school is open to all adults 18 years of age or older and offers programming to help adult learners with their goals, whether it be earning their high school diploma, upgrading courses for post-secondary, apprenticeships and even upgrading literacy and basic skills.

For  Andrea Ellsworth, the school’s  program leader for adult and continuing education, stories like Cornacchia’s are a rarity, but also the reason she originally pursued a career in assisting adult education.

“These people are why I am here and why I stay. Our adults lead busy lives, and many have sacrificed a lot to come back to school, and so we are so grateful to be working with them,” she said. “He will tell you that he was a bit nervous when he came back to school, but he’s had a lot of cheerleaders behind him on staff, such as our  guidance counsellor and our PLAR  assessor.”

PLAR stands for  Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition, a  credit-granting process where adults can obtain credits for prior learning, whether through formal or informal ways, outside secondary school. In Cornacchia’s case, his many years as a foreman with the City of Toronto allowed him to earn credits such as Navigating the Workplace. In total, he earned 26 credits through PLAR, as well as four more through additional courses.

The Durham Catholic board's director of education and superintendent of education were joined by members of Cornacchia’s family at the ceremony,  three of his sisters, a brother-in-law and his niece, to honour his accomplishment on April 25.

Reflecting on what it meant to have family present as he received his diploma, a visibly emotional Cornacchia thought back to the family he sacrificed his first educational stint for so many years ago.

“ I have had my ups and downs as we all have, but I think I have lived a good life,” he said with teary eyes. “ The teachers and the whole staff and support workers have all been great here, and to have my family with me through this has been great.  My sisters are here and they are happier than I am.”

As he plans to enjoy some down time with his family and grandkids, the 78-year-old OSSD graduate made sure to share a bit of advice for those in and out of school.

“ To anybody going to school today, if you want to get ahead, raise a family, get a good education, stay there. To those thinking about coming back, these places can give you confidence — I’m proof, I’m a happy man today. Good things come to people who do good,” he said.

For more about continuing education at Anthony Meagher Catholic, see www.con-ed.ca