When Ashley Jenkins first pulled into the parking lot of Estrella Mountain Community College, she was not there to sign up for classes. She was just along for the ride while a family member took a placement test.
At the time, she was working minimum-wage jobs, convinced the education system, one she said had ignored her since elementary school, was a closed door.
On Friday, May 15, that door will not just be open, she and her brother, Aaron, will be leading the way through it as the Jenkins siblings join hundreds of graduates at Desert Diamond Arena for EMCC’s 2026 Commencement.
