Each year, about 2,800 people muster the courage to go back to school at Farrington Community School for Adults.

Some are recent dropouts who have come to realize that without an education, they'll have little chance for a good job or a good life. Others are immigrants who have seen their children excel in school and now want to finish their own educations. Still others are senior citizens, some as old as 90, who are lifelong learners who want to keep on improving themselves.

At Farrington, among the larger adult education centers in Honolulu, classes are held in facilities all over the community, though the school is headquartered at Farrington High School in U Building, Room 104, at the back of the library.

Liberato Viduya, who has been principal of Farrington Community School for 13 years, said he has tremendous respect for the students he has seen come back to class and then graduate.

About 2,000 students throughout the community school system graduate every year, many of those with high school diplomas.

"Our main thrust is helping immigrants adjust in America," said Viduya. Along with many classes of English as a Second Language, the school also offers citizenship classes.

Funding to pay costs of academic courses like ESL is provided by the federal government, but leisure and pleasure courses cost $2 per hour of instruction, and classes generally range from 16 to 30 hours of instruction.

What are you most proud of: "I'm most proud of the achievement of the students, the adults who are doing their utmost to improve their quality of life," says Viduya. "Many of the younger set realize that without a diploma, they're not going to go far. They are returning with the realization that if they don't get a diploma they're going to have a dismal life."

Best-kept secret: "Our ability to motivate students to strive to fulfill their own personal dreams," Viduya said. "Our teachers in the multicultural sense try to approach every student differently. Some are coming from Asia. Some are returning to get their diplomas. In each situation, we try to inspire them to move on with their lives."

Everybody at our school knows: Their own individual teacher or the supervisor of their immediate area. "This is not like a regular campus," said Viduya.

Our biggest challenge: "To bring students onto campus and retain them. Part-time employment takes people away from learning. Employment opportunities are so good (that) not as many are coming back to learn."

What we need: "Ways to support the program and get people into the classroom. We need support for them, especially in low-income areas. The most difficult thing is finding people who will go out into the field and bring the students in. We have to do greater outreach to get students to come in and complete their high school diploma. Many of the community-based programs are also having the same challenge."

Special events: "Graduation is the greatest event of the year, of course." The average age of graduates runs from 18 to 25, but there are also 30- and 40-year-olds graduating with high school diplomas, too. Approximately 500 of the graduates annually are receiving their high school diplomas.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.