BOCES honors award and scholarship winners
Goshen The Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education Center held its annual Student Recognition Ceremony at SUNY Orange in Middletown on Wednesday, June 20. Held every June the week before the students’ home school graduations, the Recognition Ceremony celebrates the achievements of Career and Technical Education Academy participants. The ceremony possesses the traditional formality of a regular high school graduation, but instead of caps and gowns, students walk across the stage to receive their certificates in chef’s garb, white medical coats, security patrol uniforms or other attire associated with their technical career studies. This year’s ceremony acknowledged the achievements of 703 students from the BOCES component school districts in Orange County and the Marlboro Central School District in Ulster County, in fields from automotive technology to appearance enhancement, culinary arts to childcare, and education to engineering. Along with their certificates of achievement, 316 students who demonstrated a specific competency on an Industrial Standard Assessment were recognized with a Technical Endorsement on their Regents high school diploma, the technical equivalent of graduating with honors. Some students earned as many as 20 college credits during their two years at the Career and Tech Center to jump-start their post-secondary education. Students were also awarded more than $22,000 in scholarships for outstanding work in their chosen field in Career and Technical Education. The highlight of the evening is the presentation of the top awards for student service and the Outstanding Student Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards. Heather Itjen, an Appearance Careers Academy student from Warwick, was the recipient of the program’s Student Service Award. Michael Kull, a senior from Cornwall and a student in the Engineering Careers Academy was presented with the Outstanding Student Gold Award. Stephanie Dobson of Middletown, a Health Careers Academy student, received the Outstanding Student Silver Award. The Outstanding Student Bronze Award was given to Vanessa Foerster, a Visual Arts and Communications Careers Academy student from Goshen. The following students were also recognized with awards and scholarships: Chester Academy James Finneran: Construction Careers Academy n Achievement Award S.S. Seward High School Peter Alston, Engineering Careers Academy n Outstanding Student Award Robert Dagele, Construction Careers Academy n Outstanding Program and Academy Student Award; Arthur C. Schindler Scholarship/Tool Factory Outlet Brian Goodrich, New Vision Law and Government; CTEC Scholar Award, Outstanding Student in Program and Academy Awards Christy Karas, Health Careers Academy n Achievement Award Kayla Sullivan, Business Careers Academy n Outstanding Academy Student Warwick Valley High School Scott Bateman, Construction Careers Academy n Achievement Award Candace Hernandez, Health Careers Academy n Orange Regional Medical Center Foundation Scholarship, Achievement Award Hannah Holmes, New Vision, Achievement Award Heather Itjen, Appearance Careers Academy n CTEC Service Award, Angela Molfetas Memorial Scholarship, Outstanding Student in Program and Academy Awards Danielle Janiak, New Vision n Outstanding Student Award Brian Romanczyk, New Vision n Outstanding Student Award Kendra Vangrol, Education Careers Academy n CTEC Scholar, Outstanding Academy Student Award Michael Williams, Hudson Valley Career Academy n Achievement Award Emmett Wiser, Construction Careers Academy n Outstanding Student Award For more information about the Career and Technical Education Center’s Recognition Ceremony, call Len Singer, guidance team leader at the Career and Technical Education Center, at 291-0330.