With graduation approaching, Marion Miller sent an invitation to several of California’s Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) Dial-A-Ride drivers to attend her ceremony at nearby Mt. San Jacinto College.

For more than two years, the single mother relied on RTA’s Dial-A-Ride service to get to and from the Menifee campus where she studied sociology. Miller qualified for the special curb-to-curb service due to her cerebral palsy, which prevented her from driving her own car and riding RTA’s larger fixed-route buses.

“This service was a godsend,” Miller said. “It truly helped me become more mobile and more successful. They believed in me and were a big source of support for me on this journey to graduation.”

Last year, the service provided more than 400,000 trips to and from medical appointments, workplaces, and shopping and entertainment destinations.

RTA Chairman of the Board Jeff Comerchero applauded Miller for her success, saying he was pleased RTA’s Dial-A-Ride service could play a part in helping her reach such a major accomplishment.

“It’s not easy to remove some of those barriers standing in the way of getting through college,” Comerchero said. “We are thrilled to have made her pursuit of a higher education possible.”

Following graduation, Miller plans to attend UC Riverside and pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.