News
June 14, 2023Albany Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center Celebrates Student Success
Nearly 400 Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center students were honored on Wednesday, June 7 during a ceremony that celebrated their success in academics and preparing for the workforce.
With caregivers, friends, school and BOCES administrators looking on, students from two-dozen school districts ranging from Guilderland to Watervliet, Cobleskill to Shenendehowa, and Bethlehem to Schenectady were celebrated during a ceremony at Proctors in Schenectady.
The ceremony marked the completion of one- and two-year programs at the school, including diesel technology, culinary, cosmetology, building trades, criminal justice, network cabling, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R), carpentry, and automotive technology.
Speaker after speaker praised the graduates for going above and beyond to secure bright futures.
Principal Shelette Pleat told the scholars “you have a combination of book smarts, skills from trades and street smarts. You bring the full package.”
“Continue to do what you love and do it with passion,” she added.
Many of the graduates are going on to college and trade schools; still, others are going straight into the workforce thanks to the skills they learned and the connections they made at BOCES.
Among them is Tucker Cherry, an Automotive Trades Technology graduate from Niskayuna.
“The best thing BOCES did for me was help me land a job at Capitaland Subaru,” said Cherry. “Thanks to my amazing teacher, I learned just about everything I needed to know to begin a career as an automotive technician and now I have the place to do it.
Also joining the workforce through a BOCES business partner is Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program graduate Cameron Harless.
“I was hired by Crissafulli Brothers through BOCES. Attending BOCES has prepared me by teaching me not only the skills, but teamwork, good time management, and the importance of being respectful,” the Berne-Knox-Westerlo teen said.
Graduates pursuing further education include Allen Reome Jr. a Criminal Justice graduate who is attending SUNY Brockport to advance his career goals of being a New York State Trooper, and Jade O’Campo, a Culinary Arts and Hospitality Tech graduate attending the Culinary Institute of America.
Reome said “I have wanted to be a trooper since I was young, so the Criminal Justice program was an easy pick for me two years ago. The hands-on work and the skills you learn have helped me advance towards my goal.” he said.
O’Campo said attending Capital Region BOCES gave her the recipe for culinary success.
“Attending BOCES got me a job (at 30 Park in Clifton Park), sent me to college, and got me scholarships. What more is there to say?” said O’Campo.
