SANFORD — Cheers, applause, and congratulatory yells punctuated the measured strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” Thursday evening as the candidates for graduation from Central Carolina Community College’s Adult High School and GED program entered the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center main hall.

Parents, grandparents, spouses, children, other family, and friends joined in celebrating this big event in the lives of their special graduate.

“I guess my grandchildren are waiting for me to do cartwheels across the stage,” Rosa Fox, of Sanford, said with a smile. Fox, 64, had been out of school for 46 years and retired from Moen Corp. before earning her high school diploma.

“It’s always been something I wanted to get,” she said.

Fox was one of three student speakers at the commencement, one representing each county the college serves. Cristie Mitchell, of Lillington, was the Harnett speaker, and Tanya Smith, of Goldston, the Chatham speaker.

Mitchell dropped out of high school at age 16.

“It’s the only thing in my life that I’ve ever regretted,” she said. Now 33, she’s making up for lost time. She received her GED and has already enrolled at CCCC to study forensic science.

Smith, just 17, dropped out of high school, then enrolled at the college in March 20007. She received her high school diploma at the graduation.

“You get a lot of individual attention at CCCC,” she said. “While here, I came to believe I could accomplish anything. I want to continue my education at the college to become a nurse.”

One by one, as their names were called, the candidates for graduation walked proudly across the stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas. When all had been recognized, Dr. John Slade, CCCC vice president of instruction/CAO, presented the candidates and Tim McNeill, vice chairman of the college’s board of trustees, officially conferred the diplomas.

With that, the new graduates moved their blue tassels — with a sparkling gold “08” attached — from the right to the left side of their mortarboards, The audience exploded into cheers and applause, while graduates tossed their mortarboards into the air.

Willie Mae Stokes, of Angier, held the mace proudly as she led the processional and recessional. Stokes, 69, received her GED. Now that she’s achieved this major goal, she has set another one: enrolling at CCCC to become a certified nursing assistant.

Following the recessional, family and friends gathered around the new graduates, all rejoicing at what had been accomplished.

“I thought this day would never come,” Mitchell said. But it did, and for Mitchell and all the graduates, it was worth the effort.

During the commencement, McNeill presented $600 CCCC Foundation Directors’ Scholarships to Smith, of Chatham County, Maria Luisa Gonzalez-Chavez, of Lee County, and Joshua Davis, of Harnett County. Shawn Thornton, of Lee County, was awarded the $1,000 W.B. Wicker Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

Landis Phillips, director of the college’s Emergency Services Training Center, announced the winner of the first $600 Donald N. Buie Memorial Endowed Scholarship — Harnett County student Adam Evans. Each graduate also received a voucher from the Foundation to pay for one curriculum course at CCCC, to encourage them to continue their education.

A total of 56 high school and 154 GED diplomas were completed during the spring semester. About 130 of the students took part in the graduation exercises. The Adult High School and GED program are part of the college’s Continuing Education Department.