Second Chances, Second Graduates | Tucson News

Tucson News Today | 2 Min Now | The Daily News Now! · Jul 17, 2026 · 1m

Twenty-one students walked across the stage this year as graduates of Tucson Preparatory School — a charter school built for those society often writes off: kids who’ve been homeless, expelled, or tangled in the justice system. Where traditional schools failed them, Tucson Prep offered a lifeline. Roberto Mendez, juggling family responsibilities, and Anthony Nuzzo, battling the mental toll of homelessness, found not just a classroom, but a community that didn’t push them out — it pulled them up. With an open-door policy and case managers ready to tackle ADHD, behavioral issues, or past…