Back in 1989, Ericka Jensen of Turlock was only two months away from receiving her high school diploma when she dropped out to get married. It is something that has weighed on her for years. Last fall, Jensen finally made the decision to enroll in the Turlock Adult School for two semesters and try to earn her diploma. Little did she know that her graduation would coincide with her son’s, Turlock High senior Erik Breedveld.
On May 30, Jensen walked the graduation stage at the Turlock Adult School. Later that week on June 2, Breedveld walked the stage at Joe Debely Field on the grounds of Turlock High.
“It was really special for me to have us both achieve this goal together,” Jensen said. “We didn't even plan it. Once I was ready to go back to school, they told me the graduation dates and it just happened. We’re both graduates the same year.”
Jensen was 17 years old when she dropped out of high school over three decades ago. She admitted that she downplayed the importance of education at that time in her life.
“I was 17 and I just didn't know how important school was back then,” Jensen said. “As time went on, I realized it, and since he was a baby, I've always talked about it the importance of it and how I wanted to go back.”
Jensen explained that she had dealt with panic attacks and anxiety in the years between dropping out and reenrolling this year. After getting it all under control with proper medication and health care, she was ready to take on two semesters of schooling at the local adult school.
“Once I settled down, I knew that now was the time that I want to go to school, so I just did it. I just wanted to get my diploma and prove to myself and my family that, ‘Hey, I can do this.’ I only needed 30 credits, so it just aligned perfectly without us knowing that we would finish at the same time,” she said. “What are the chances that the year I’m ready and the number of credits I needed, it would match up when he would be graduating?”
Jensen took classes like World History and Algebra, and when she found herself confused or needing extra assistance when completing homework, Erik was there to help.
“A lot of the stuff she was learning about, I had just finished the year before, so I was pretty familiar with the curriculum,” Breedveld said.
Studying alongside her son was something that Jensen treasured.
“I bribed him to help me,” she joked. “But really, it was fun and I didn’t realize how fun it would be. Even with 30 units, it was really hard and I felt like everything was trying to stop me. Even my truck would break down on the way to class. But I just kept going, and watching him work hard in his classes really inspired me. You look around, and even the youngsters can fall back. I was like, ‘Yeah, Ericka, you're hanging in there. You just stay in there.’”
It was a similar mindset that Breedveld had having to persist through the pandemic and distance learning in his first few years as a Bulldog.
“These past couple of years were hard for a lot of us too. COVID really hit hard, and in some ways, I felt like I was robbed of some of those experiences,” he said.
It’s those hurdles that made last Friday night at Turlock High so special for both of them as they caught up with family and friends. Jensen even went back to the car to throw on her own cap and gown to pose for photos next her son.
With her degree, Jensen hopes to find opportunities where she can simply help others, possibly even exploring a career as a fitness trainer. As for Breedveld, he is still weighing his options, which include attending Modesto Junior College, joining the workforce or pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“One thing I want people to know when reading this is that you're never too old,” Jensen said. “As long as you have breath, you can do anything you want. Just go for it.”
