Erica and Anjelize Camacho

The mother-daughter duo celebrated the end of 2021 by walking across the stage one after another, cheered on by a crowd of siblings, parents, and other loved ones in the audience.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘wow, I’m going be on stage with my mother, walking to the graduation song… how many mother-daughters get to do that?’” Angelize recalled.

The celebration marked the Camachos’ completion of Malcolm X’s 8-week BNA certificate program, which they were both able to complete tuition-free. Angelize, a high school junior at Walter Payton College Prep, enrolled in the class through City Colleges’ Early College program, while her mom Erica took advantage of Malcolm X’s Workforce Equity Initiative program, Project MPACT, to cover the costs of her tuition.

Both said that earning their BNA certificates was a first step on their pathway to becoming healthcare professionals.