ROCKLAND BOCES CELEBRATES GRADUATES AND SUCCESS AT 2016 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES

b2 b1WEST NYACK, NY  —  Rockland BOCES wrapped up its 55th year of serving the community this month with a series of graduation and completion ceremonies celebrating the achievements of more than 1,000 youth and adult learners.
“We are so proud of what our students have accomplished this year,” said Rockland BOCES Chief Operating Officer Mary Jean Marsico, Ed.D.  “We are confident that the skills, education and independence earned at Rockland BOCES have given our students the solid foundation needed for success in their career and in life. Our students are great examples of academic and vocational achievement in our community; this is their time to be recognized for their hard work and determination and we wish them all the best.”
On June 21, Rockland BOCES held its annual Adult Education Student Recognition Ceremonies at locations in Nyack and Spring Valley.  More than 800 adult learners received certificates signifying their successful completion of a variety of part-time vocational, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and high school equivalency (TASC) programs.
“I am proud of our adult education students, because in order to complete our programs they must be self-motivated and make a time commitment that is often very lengthy,” said Marsico. “Many of our adult learners have faced great adversity and truly believe that education is the path to a better life.”
On June 17, nine students graduated from Rockland BOCES’ Jesse J. Kaplan School in West Nyack.  Rockland County Executive Ed Day delivered remarks to Kaplan grads and families, several of whom have been a part of the BOCES family for more than a decade. The Jesse J. Kaplan School offers a stimulating learning environment for students ages 5-21 with autism, cognitive disabilities, medical fragility and/or multiple disabilities.
On June 8, Rockland BOCES held its Recognition Ceremony for all 242 graduating Career and Tech (CTEC) students on the CTEC Lawn in West Nyack. Scholarships and awards from institutions of higher education and local civic organizations totaled more than $1 million. Special honors went to the following students, representing each of the component school districts in Rockland County:
·         Corin Geoghegan, a Medical & Nursing Fundamentals student representing Tappan Zee High School, received the Julius Denton Scholarship Award, the DeMeola Memorial Scholarship Award and the St. Joseph’s College Academic Scholarship totaling $120,000
·         Natalia Dobrenko, a New Visions Health Careers Exploration student representing Suffern High School, received the William A. Coffey Award and the Marist College Alumni & International Scholarship totaling $100,000
·         Marie Boutin, a Medical & Nursing Fundamentals student representing the Nyack High School, received the SUNY Brockport Scholarship totaling $92,000
·         Ritwik Baksi, a New Visions Health Careers Exploration student representing Clarkstown North, received the Henry Rutgers & Trustee Award totaling $88,000
·         Sinead Reilly, a Medical & Nursing Fundamentals student representing Clarkstown North, received the Sacred Heart Academic Scholarship totaling $48,000
·         Nicole Shaw, a New Visions Health Careers Exploration student representing North Rockland High School, received the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents award, the Victor Ridder Memorial Scholarship and the SUNY Oneonta Upstate Medical Presidential Scholarship totaling $28,400
·         Christina Scavetta, a Culinary Arts student representing Pearl River High School, received the Newbury College Culinary Award totaling $20,000
·         Nanuet High School seniors Brendan O’Brien (Auto Technology II) and Sherece Hoillette (Cosmetology II) were awarded the Riversville Foundation Scholarship for full tuition to Rockland Community College
·         Christina Hanos, a New Visions Health Careers Exploration student representing Clarkstown South, received the Dr. Johnson Memorial Scholarship Award, the Pfizer Award, the Rensselaer Leadership Award, the Rockland County Medical Society award and the AHEPA Chapter 455 Scholarship

·         Helene Krane Memorial Scholarships were presented to Kaitlyn Perry of Suffern High School, Courtney Collins of Tappan Zee High School and Matthew Maddalena of Monroe-Woodbury High School.

On June 7, 55 adult learners graduated from the ‪‎Rockland BOCES Practical Nursing program, which included a traditional “pinning” ceremony.  Each of the graduates promised to devote their careers to “service and to the high ideals of the nursing profession.”
Other graduation and year-end ceremonies were held for students attending Rockland BOCES CBI Tech High School, Project SEARCH and River View High School. On June 16, 127 students attending the Hilltop School in Haverstraw were recognized during the 2016 Moving Up Ceremony.

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