CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Former Tuloso-Midway student Isaiah Herrero updated 3NEWS that since we shared his story last week, the community, Por Vida Academy and Del Mar College have stepped up to help him after T-M ISD told him he was mistakenly given a diploma in 2017.
"Despite the challenges that I faced with Tuloso-Midway, they weren't able to correct their mistake, but I was able to obtain a half credit through Por Vida Academy," Herrero said. "They took me in and in less than two hours they got me certified as a high school graduate in Texas. So, really really appreciate their support and for stepping up and taking care of that mistake."
Not only did he obtain the half credit he needed, but he told 3NEWS that Del Mar College also stepped in to provide him with a scholarship that will help with his tuition!
He said he is grateful for all the support he received to continue his education to become a nurse and fulfill his promise to his late grandmother.
Below is the original story before the update.
A former Tuloso-Midway student is in quite the predicament after he learned he never actually graduated despite receiving his diploma. Isaiah Herrero received that diploma back in 2017 and said he's spent the last seven years believing he was a high school graduate.
Turns out, that isn't the case.
The former T-M student said he worked to graduate early at the age of 16 from the district's Academic Career Center with plans of entering the healthcare field.
But life had other plans.
He joined the workforce and took care of his grandmother until her passing.
"My final promise to her was fulfilling my wish of becoming a nurse," he said.
Herrero is 24 years old now and recently decided to fulfill his promise to his grandmother to further his education by enrolling at Del Mar College's nursing program.
That's where the issue was caught after he received a letter in which he was denied financial aid.
He has since learned he was still a half credit short on his transcript.
He reached out to Tuloso-Midway.
"The principal told me I need 22 credits. I only have 21.5," he said "I'm half a credit short because I'm half a credit short on their mistake. They're wanting me to get a GED and in the eyes of schools and employers it doesn't carry the same weight."
3NEWS sat down with Tuloso-Midway Superintendent Steve VanMatre who said it would be difficult to talk about something that happened in 2017 when he and most of his staff wasn't with the district at that time, but this is a matter he is looking into.
"If in 2017 a diploma was mailed that certified this young man as a graduate of Tuloso- Midway High School, that was a mistake," VanMatre said. "As superintendent of schools, I apologize for that mistake on behalf of the district, in addition to that we will look at the root cause."
VanMatre said they are in the process of developing procedures and protocols to make sure it doesn't happen again.
As far as options for the former student?
"Moving forward, there are pathways that if this young man this happened to, wants to proceed with obtaining the necessary credits to be a high school graduate, we'll be there for him," VanMatre said. "We've identified a couple of GED, there's a UT high school empowerment academy that they may not be knowledgeable about."
Despite the dilemma, Isaiah remains hopeful the issue can be corrected.
He plans to file a grievance with the district.
"They sent me on with my life to do things and follow my dreams, it's not fair to me my whole life is on hold," Herrero said. "This isn't my mistake but I'm the only one paying the consequences for it."