In his first year of sobriety, Brayan Muñoz Leal stood at the door of a Fourth Avenue bar.
A security guard and recovering addict, Brayan worked the room and the door with patience, understanding and sometimes trepidation. But after a drunk customer got physical with him one night, he had a moment of clarity.
“That’s when I had the thought if I really wanted to continue getting hit? Or if I wanted to do something else,” he said. “I wanted to do something for my life. It can’t just be this.”
Brayan was right. Now, it’s so much more.
He balanced those long nights at work with daytime classes and studying at Pima Community College’s adult basic education program. The 29-year-old passed the GED exam and earned his high school equivalency diploma. On Thursday, he will speak about how he did it and why it matters at Pima’s celebration for high school equivalency graduates.
As federal funding for adult education is proposed to be slashed in the submitted 2026 budget, Brayan represents thousands of Pima County adult students who earned their second chance.
Pima’s adult education program serves about 4,500 adult learners a year — including those seeking high school equivalency diplomas and English language learners — said Wendy Scheder Black, the director of teaching and learning at Pima’s Adult Basic Education for College and Career. Brayan is an example of success in a very vulnerable adult population, she said, adding about 80,000 Pima County adults do not have a high school diploma.
“So many people have to step out of high school for so many reasons: Troubles, learning disabilities … people who had to take care of others. Whether it’s one year or 40 years later, they come back and have to finish. This career program provides a pathway for that.
“What struck me about Brayan was his courage. He is incredibly dedicated,” she said. “He is motivated to help others. It drives him and contributes to their success as well as his own.”
If you go
● What: Pima College Adult Education Program’s high school equivalency graduation
● When: Thursday, June 5,
6:30 p.m.
● Where: Tucson Convention Center, Leo Rich Theater.
● Live stream: PCCTV YouTube.
In 2022, the Arizona Department of Education says 4,136 high school equivalency diplomas were issued.
And for every one, there is a backstory returning to the classroom.
Brayan (Bray-AN) attended five different Tucson-area high schools and was bullied as a gay teen in the foster care system. He said he descended into addiction and his life was on hold as he struggled.
“I never really got the education that I wanted back then,” he said. “After 14 years of being an addict, it’s been rough. People who are addicts go through very hard stages.”
Moving through those periods helped Brayan clarify his path: Attend classes, take and pass the GED test, enroll at Pima to earn a licensed professional nurse associate degree and then become a registered nurse.
Those goals will be attained, said Brayan’s classmate and roommate Ross Lipman. A former lawyer, Lipman is now 68 and pursuing a physics degree at Pima.
“Seeing (Brayan) take one step after another, I think, ‘if Brayan’s going to stick with this, then I have to also,’” he said. “It’s a really big step for anybody to go back and do this. I am incredibly proud of him.”
Brayan’s world opened up for him within a week of earning his diploma. He got a job as a behavioral health specialist at COPE Community Services, a nonprofit healthcare organization.
“I’ve been stuck on this one quote — something like: Change is what you want. But if you don’t change it, then you want to be stuck there,” he said.
“Life will go on whether you want it or not, even if you’re stuck somewhere, life isn’t going to wait for you. You’ve got to move on.”
Three ways Brayan recommends to get unstuck:
Remember your spark.
“I was feeling lost and alone and the addiction grew and grew. It was a very dark time for sure but a little spark stayed there. And I did everything in my power to get my own life back together.”
Talk to the younger you.
“I would basically just tell myself everything happens for a reason. And when you smile it’s even better because everything is a lot better with a good attitude. No matter what’s going on, you’re going to get through it.”
Help others.
“I am glad I am able to give back to my community. I am looking forward to helping people and being a registered nurse. My dad is having a lot of health issues, and I want to get that degree to help more than just him. … I have a client right now and I told him I know what he’s going through, the depression. He has to appreciate the opportunity he has now. I used to sleep at the parks. I used to panhandle. I did things I wouldn’t be OK with. … You have to forgive yourself.”
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