Omega School of Literacy Network serves students of all ages who want to complete their high school education. Ezi Adesi, director of Omega School of Literacy Network, is excited to see his students’ hard work over the past year pay off at the Omega School Class of 2026 Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, June 20, 11 a.m. at Madison College Truax Campus.
One message that Adesi has for his students throughout the year, as he works with them day in and day out, is “stay consistent.”
“If you stay consistent, we will see to it that you have what you need to get this thing done. Our students have one job … to be consistent. And we pretty much can almost count on students getting through and graduating. It’s when students become inconsistent and allow those outside factors in life to overtake them; it becomes a real grind.
“That’s why Saturday’s event is such a celebration, and it’s so important, and I always get super excited about this time of year,” Adesi continues. “I love June and I look forward to the graduation. It’s really something to celebrate, and I encourage as many students as possible to make the graduation.”
Students will be wearing their blue caps and gowns on Saturday and will be joined by their families and friends, along with Literacy Network staff and community members, as they celebrate their Omega School journeys and successes and look toward the future.
“This graduation ceremony is open to the public and we encourage them to come and show support so our students can really see how many people are cheering for them in this community,” Adesi says. “Anyone can come to this event.”
Omega School, which officially became a program of Literacy Network on Jan. 1, 2025, has a goal of encouraging an environment and providing individualized instruction and committed, professional staff to help students learn and complete their GED or HSED. All of the non-profit organization’s programs include job-readiness skills training such as resume-building instruction, job interview practice sessions, and career profile development advice.
“There are so many different lessons, so many different talking points, so many different aspects to the whole journey of these students,” Adesi says. “Everybody’s story is different, and they all came to Omega with different backgrounds and different skill levels. They all share the storyline of perseverance … because it isn’t easy..
“For the students, coming to Omega is just one aspect of their lives. There are so many other things our students navigate on a daily basis to get to this point on their journey. There are lots of twists and turns … no journey is linear.”
Omega School hosted its first graduation under the Literacy Network umbrella last summer, which was also the first with Adesi leading Omega School, after he took over from longtime Omega School executive director Oscar Mireles.
“I’m very excited that we have increased the number of graduates from last year,” Adesi says.
This graduation ceremony is truly all about the old saying, “It takes a village.”
“It takes community, it takes family, it takes friends. It takes a lot of different people caring and committing to the success of one individual,” Adesi says.
“You’re a motivator every day, you’re a counselor every day, you’re a friend every day, you’re a mentor every day, from the start to the very end. So many people play different roles to get them to the finish line,” he continues. “I like to talk to our students about the importance of knowing that you’re supported and being grateful for it.”
The event will feature remarks from a student speaker and an Omega School alumni speaker who went on to Madison College and UW-Madison, who, Adesi says, will give the perspective of perseverance on that journey.
“At the event, we also plan to recognize some community members who have supported our mission.and our students,” Adesi says. “It’s always a great event and an emotional event.”
Omega School has had many graduates go on to do amazing things and become an important part of the fabric of the greater Madison community.
“I invite family and community members to come out and support, because these students have invested in themselves, the families and their support system have invested in them,” Adesi says. “As an organization, we’re investing in our community by equipping these students with that credential. It just opens up so many doors.”
The Omega School Class of 2026 Graduation Ceremony will be held Saturday, June 20, 11 a.m. at Madison College Truax Campus, 1701 Wright St.
