From hitting the books to walking down the aisle: Redlands couple shares their journey to graduation from Crafton Hills College

Publish Date: May 22, 2024

Vacation plans or binge-watching shows on Netflix is a common to-do list item for many in relationships.

But one married couple from Redlands have completed a sought-after milestone as they graduated from Crafton Hills College as part of the Class of 2024. 

“We never planned on graduating together,” laughed Stephanie Renteria, 24. “I really don’t know how it happened this way.”

Let’s rewind a bit to a time when a single George Renteria, now 34, was browsing Instagram and landed on Stephanie’s profile. He noticed they had something in common as Roadrunners attending Yucaipa’s little college on the hill, so he took a chance and sent Stephanie a direct message. 

The rest is history.

In December 2023, the couple completed their respective associate degree programs with Stephanie earning a degree in social science and George in business administration. But it was while speaking with site counselors that they learned they both were only a few credits shy from earning a second AA degree – the same as the major discipline of the other.

So, they hit the books and spent the last couple months attending classes online to complete this next chapter in their Crafton journey, with each crediting the other with a tremendous amount of support and encouragement.

They also credit Crafton for sparking a true love connection, one they are excited to share when asked, “Can you tell me the story of how you first met?”

“Even before I met my wife, I was going to [Riverside Community College] and [San Bernardino] Valley. And then one day, I was just driving around the Yucaipa/Redlands area and I found Crafton. I thought it was so beautiful and I knew this was the place where I could figure it all out,” said George.

“We eventually started figuring it out together,” said Stephanie.

“I just wanted to finish something I started a long time ago,” continued George. “I could lie to myself and give excuses as to why I didn’t finish earlier, but I believe it was destined to be this way.”

George and Stephanie received their degrees on Wednesday, May 21, as Crafton Hills College celebrated its newest crop of graduates during its 2024 commencement ceremony.